Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Greetings in Christ!
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in bright sunshine, and let us be glad for the ongoing display of the Almighty’s handiwork in the bright colors of fall! To be sure, it’s “sweater weather” more often than not, as we progress further into the autumn season, but that just adds an element of coziness to our days. Let’s savor these days in the beauty of Up North!
Our brothers and sisters in the Middle East and Ukraine know little of coziness right now, as their days are filled with the sights and sounds of war all around them, sights and sounds unbidden but unavoidable, as they are caught up in centuries old conflicts that defy solutions. Our first and best response is to pray fervently that God will bring peace; our second response should be to find ways to support relief efforts through legitimate agencies and organizations. Our third response should be to reflect on our own propensity to demonize those whom we consider “other” or “enemy,” and try to understand why we hold some of those with whom we disagree in low regard. To be sure, there are myriad reasons to be wary of some people, based on their rhetoric and actions, but we must be careful not to paint with too broad a brush when it comes to nationalities and races. We must remember that all people are God’s children, and that while some have chosen to forget that fact, we cannot; our Christian beliefs and values have little room for dismissing others. We are called to be peacemakers. We are called to love. While this may seem simplistic, even naïve, in the face of the horrors that cross our TV screens every day, it is the reality of following Christ Jesus.
God bless you!
Karen and Greg
Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18
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