What a revolutionary teaching for personal relationships! Love even your enemies! But who are our enemies? The full meaning of enemies in the sources from which King James’s translators chose the word enemies includes military foes but even extends to any who actively oppose one another. Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals […]
In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus invites us to come to each other and to Him in His inn—His Church. He invites us to be good neighbors. The good Samaritan promises to return and recompense the care of those in His inn. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ includes making room for all […]
I think of a few lines penned by Charles D. Meigs from an experience that happened years ago in the life of General [William] Booth, who wanted to send a message at Christmas time to every Salvation Army post throughout the world. He wanted to send it by cable. He recognized the great cost, so […]
My brothers and sisters, should we not be the gardeners for our fellow men and women? Are we not our brother’s keeper? Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves.11 From His mouth, the word neighbor does not merely mean geographic proximity; it implies a proximity of the heart. It encompasses all the inhabitants of this planet—whether […]
Thus, one sure way to increase our love for others or other things is to sacrifice of ourselves for them. When we sacrifice our talents or our earthly or academic honors or our increasingly limited time on the altar to God, the act of sacrifice binds our hearts to Him, and we feel our love […]
Love for others is the eloquent expression of the second great commandment to love our neighbor;5 it shows the refining process of the Holy Spirit working within our own souls. By demonstrating Christ’s love to others, we may cause those who see our good works to “glorify [our] Father which is in heaven.”6 – Gary E. […]
With the dawning of each new day, there will be opportunities for all of us to help our neighbors, who are our brothers, in their hour of need. How will we respond? Will we be like the priest and like the Levite described by the Savior, and turn our heads, walk across the road, and […]
In so many relationships and circumstances in life, we must live with differences. Where vital, our side of these differences should not be denied or abandoned, but as followers of Christ we should live peacefully with others who do not share our values or accept the teachings upon which they are based. The Father’s plan […]