Dear World—

Friday, June 19th, 2020

Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe He is the one and only Son of God and that He died to save me. My intent is not to judge others who might believe differently, I just want to share my faith. I am a sinner and make mistakes often and my trust is in Jesus. I am far from perfect yet I continue to strive towards it. It is through the grace and mercy of God that I am forgiven. I cannot save myself or work to earn salvation, it is a free gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”

I addressed this entry to the world, I myself am not a worldly person, I have not traveled to many places and I strive to learn about the world. I am curious and interested in the cultural practices around the globe and within my own community. My faith calls me to love others, you may think that sounds very difficult given the differences around the world and in our neighborhoods and cities. In actuality, it is much easier to love than it is to hate. Hate is a heavy burden to bear. Love is free and has no record of wrong doings. I have recently found myself overwhelmed and frustrated with the conflicts happening around the world. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to understand the actions that cause destruction and obvious disregard for personal safety, private property, unlawful actions, slander and subjective condemnation along with the seemingly total disregard of others that see things differently.

Now is the time for unity, cooperation, compassion, forgiveness. Perhaps even a time to leave the past in the past. If the past is always being brought into the present with no regard for its place in history, it will never have the chance for real change to happen and will continue its relentless cycle. I have discovered that the only way to move forward and be successful is to let go of the past and to stop looking back. The future is not in the rear view mirror. My hope is that we learn from the past, make better choices and learn from the our decisions and those of our ancestors. Mistakes have been made by everyone, no one is immune to its pains. The pain we experience should guide us to become more loving, more attentive and to be more compassionate towards others. No one person, with the except of God, has all the right answers. We must be willing to share our life experiences and not merely see our differences but more importantly see the things we agree upon. Once we solidify a firm foundation upon the things that unite us, only then can we build upon them. Recognizing that our differences are not faults, and that we all see our own side of every story more clearly than that of another’s and vice versa. This is why clear communication is so vital, being able to listen and to speak without being interrupted. I’ve noticed throughout my life that people often like the sound of their own voice and are less inclined to listen to someone else’s voice. It a battle for many of us, I certainly try to overcome this prideful distraction on a regular basis. Perhaps we ought to try and see one another as Jesus sees us, as brothers and sisters.

Matthew 12:50

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Webster-Merriam Dictionary: Listening

• to hear something with thoughtful attention; give consideration

• to pay attention to sound

1 Peter 3:8-12

“Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻

~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️

ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below. 

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm

https://uri.org/

https://uri.org/kids/world-religions

https://www.merriam-webster.com/