Love Our Neighbor

As Valentine's Day approaches we are inundated with visions of love. While this love tends to focus on one special someone, we can also take the opportunity to reflect on all those we love in our life, to make sure that we remember how important our interpersonal relationships are. To remember to Love Our Neighbor.

This Sunday, I will focus on Matthew 5:21-24, a story of anger and reconciliation. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

Sounds simple, but like most lived out experiences, it can be a difficult task to think of all the people we might have hurt in the course of a week, intentional or otherwise.

I will try to draw some meaning out of this text for today and bounce it around our United Methodist quadrilateral of scripture, experience, reason and tradition.

Can you believe that as of this upcoming week we will be almost through winter? For we are a little more than a month away from the first day of spring. However, before we get too far ahead of reality, no doubt we can all remember nasty March days. But each day brings more light, as the Earth makes it northern dip toward the Sun. We also can bring more light as we stand in the word that put on flesh, and acted out possibility, goodness, acceptance and forgiveness. Where the Now and Forever are never a choice.