Thought of the Day !!

(Today's Thought of the day !! comes from my dear friend Rev. Roy Pearson of W. Laurel UMC. In reading it this morning, I just felt led to share it with you. May God bless you through Roy's devotional today.)


Grace and peace,

Last night I received a phone call from a dear friend in France. He was hired as a translator for a woman from Nigeria who was arrested in France for being an illegal alien. She had fled from Nigeria because her family were Christians and her father was arrested by the Muslim government for inciting a Christian riot against the Muslims. Tomorrow, she stands trial in France and if found guilty she will be placed on a plane to Nigeria where she will be shot as soon as the plane hits the ground, for she is a wanted criminal in Nigeria for being in insurrectionist.

Last week, a young man went into a gay bar in Massachusetts and open fired. He killed several people in the bar. He fled with a girl companion and wound up in Mountain Home, AR. where he was stopped by police. He shot the policeman, killed the girl, and was wounded by police. He was transported to Cox Hospital South in Springfield, MO.

Here are two tragic stories. In both instances, we have people who feel they are doing God's work by killing those who oppose them or who they deem unworthy to live. So often, people are killed in the name of Christianity or religion. If we do not kill them with bullets or knives, we kill them with words.

We may feel the young man got what he deserved. We may feel that the people in the gay bar got what they deserved. We would probably feel sympathy for the woman until we hear the rest of the story. When she migrated to France, she became a prostitute to support herself. I know what you are thinking...how can a "Christian" become a prostitute? Does that change your feelings toward her? What about our feelings toward the Muslims who want to kill her without question because her family is accused of rioting against Muslims?

Sometimes my feelings do not always coincide with the teachings of Jesus like,

"You have heard the law that says, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in Heaven."
(Matthew 5: 43-44)


May God guide our steps today to do His will in the way we view others.


Roy