Hello everyone and Merry Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating the holidays this year. Seeing as it is the giving season, it’s natural to put our resources together to help out those in need, which is great! In addition to the thoughtful gifts that will be given out this year how about add understanding to the list?
Allow me to explain; if you’ve noticed the news, media, cultural trends etc., you can see there are people all over from many walks of life. Everywhere you look these days there’s someone that is completely different from everything you know and believe. Although this blend is great, disagreement comes about and often times disrupt peace and common ground. Something such as a difference of political views can easily cause unnecessary strife for many of us.
In the season of giving I’m asking for us to look at the person next to us and just understand. Everyone is raised differently and grow up to believe differently. Regardless of the difference we should learn to understand and accept. Is a difference of opinion a reason to reject or look down upon one another? God made each and everyone of unique and special on purpose! Could you imagine if we were all made the same and thought the exact same thoughts?
When Jesus showed up at the well that afternoon, he did what was culturally frowned upon. However, when love is the forefront of what we do, there’s not a single difference that can stand in the way. Doing something like this may be unusual for all of us, just as the Samaritan woman was confused as to why Jesus was asking her for water. Fast forward to the end result and we have a woman who’s life is completely changed all because a Man decided to understand and accept her! Jesus sets such an amazing example here that could shake things up in a powerful in today’s day!
I don’t know who you cross paths with on a daily basis or who you will meet in the future but instead of focusing on how they may differ focus on embracing them differences and all. We never truly know what someone else is dealing with or what they’ve experienced, so why not build a bridge by choosing to understand and acceptance? What about that classmate that votes for someone different than you or that coworker that didn’t grow up believing in God? Imagine the progress that can be made if we put Jesus’ example into action and choose to accept them for who they are and where they came from? That is The Gospel!
Jeremy Hernandez is a member of the Journey family carrying on the message of faith to young adults searching for God.