Our Lord knows that it’s not as
easy as simply choosing to follow
the commandments, simply deciding
to do our work fairly and faithfully.
He knows that as we strive to carry
out our daily interactions fairly and
faithfully, we’ll face temptations.
Shortcuts, flashes of temper, defensive
self-righteousness. So He lovingly
calls us to follow Him – to call on Him
as we bear the cross.
To sell all we have: let go of the
notion that we can make it all work
out, that it’s up to us to determine
what is right for everyone else.
Sell all we have and give to the
poor. The teachings for the New
Church suggest that giving to the poor
is to carry out our daily interactions
fairly and faithfully in a spirit of true
charity (Apocalypse Explained 893.4)
– to recognize that we are all, in a sense, poor and needy. We’re all hungry
for kindness, all thirsty for a clearer understanding. We all spend time feeling
vulnerable, or like we’re the odd one out (naked, a stranger). All of us at times
feel trapped or discouraged (imprisoned, sick). So Jesus tells us – in every
interaction – sell all that you have, and give to the poor.
Inasmuch as we offer each other respect, when we would rather dismiss as
thoughtless the values of a different political party; inasmuch as we offer each
other patience, when we would rather call out that frustrating customer service
representative at the other end of the
phone; inasmuch as we offer each other
kindness, when we would rather make
sure that family member knows how
wrong or irritating they are; inasmuch
as we strive to treat everyone around
us as sisters and brothers in need of a
charitable attitude, those little gestures
of good will can continue to ripple out
– and who knows how far they extend?
Here in our little corner of the
earth, it can be so hard to believe at
[As] people become
more used to being
cheated, disregarded, put
down, and they learn to
respond in kind. Sadly,
that’s much of world we
live in today. But when
we do the opposite, when
we strive to carry out
our daily tasks fairly and
faithfully, the world does
become a better place.
There really is no limit
to the hearts that can
be touched around
the world by our daily
choices, our daily
gestures of fairness
and faithfulness.
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