Living in a Fragmented World

It is that time of year again or should I say it is a never ending time of year now. Election season is upon and I am beginning to wonder who burned out we are on the constant nagging and shouting from both sides. It is not only politics that are fragmented, but people and communities. Look around and observe. What do you notice when you are out and about? Do you see people? You may say, “What a silly question, Zac. Of course I do.” I mean, do you really see people? There is a great Central African why of greeting one another. In America, we say, “How are you?” of some variation. The local tribespeople when they meet one another say something that is inspiring to me when translated into the English: “I see you”. It means that I recognize you for who you are. I see you and your struggle. I see you and your joy, pain, happiness, depression, and so on. Do we see others? This is an integral part of being with Just Love Your Neighbor. We must see others as fellow travelers in this fragmented, modern world. When we do see one another, think of how much empathy we can have, which will lead to compassionate people doing the work of the Gospel. Loving one another is the only way we can escape this fragmentation. So, let us see others as friends and love as Jesus loves us.

Grace and peace!

- Zac