About a year ago I read an article in a Christian magazine written by Charles Webb, Ph.D. He is the president of Spring Arbor University, a Christian University in Spring Arbor, Michigan. This sentence caught my eye and has resonated with me since that time: “Justice is a distinguishing mark of anauthentic follower of God.” He went on to say “It’s incarnational living that allows [nonbelievers] to see Jesus through the compassionate eyes of justice.” Of course, he was referencing Isaiah 58 and 59. Matthew 19:19 says it more succinctly: Justice is loving your neighbor as yourself, as Christcommands.
We are out to build the greatest caring network the world has ever seen which means that, asfollowers of Jesus, we live our lives right out in the open for everyone to see. Hopefully, as thatfollower, I’m displaying my love for Jesus through the acts of justice I demonstrate daily. If you’ve ever struggled with how that actually looks in real life, here are some possibilities I have explored and found rewarding:
· Commenting to a clerk something personal about them – their nice smile, their courteous manner, or their efficient way of doing business.
· Speaking a word of friendliness to someone while waiting in line.
· Smiling in a friendly way to everyone you pass on the street.
· Offering to help a neighbor in some constructive way.
· Letting the car in the merge lane go ahead of you.
We all have lives to live and places to go. I think it makes the going easier if I spread a littlecompassion and kindness along the way. Another way we’ve expressed it at Washington Cathedral is to “Splash a little joy around!”
By: Sally Jo Holmes
We are out to build the greatest caring network the world has ever seen which means that, asfollowers of Jesus, we live our lives right out in the open for everyone to see. Hopefully, as thatfollower, I’m displaying my love for Jesus through the acts of justice I demonstrate daily. If you’ve ever struggled with how that actually looks in real life, here are some possibilities I have explored and found rewarding:
· Commenting to a clerk something personal about them – their nice smile, their courteous manner, or their efficient way of doing business.
· Speaking a word of friendliness to someone while waiting in line.
· Smiling in a friendly way to everyone you pass on the street.
· Offering to help a neighbor in some constructive way.
· Letting the car in the merge lane go ahead of you.
We all have lives to live and places to go. I think it makes the going easier if I spread a littlecompassion and kindness along the way. Another way we’ve expressed it at Washington Cathedral is to “Splash a little joy around!”
By: Sally Jo Holmes
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