One Family

13 The LORD looks down from heaven;

he sees every human being.

14 From his dwelling place God observes

all who live on earth.

15 God is the one who made

all their hearts,

the one who knows

everything they do.

(Psalm 33:13–15)

One Family

Good Day Family,

I love this passage of scripture because it recognizes that everyone—all who live on earth—has been created by God and known by God. The Lord pays attention to those who others ignore. God’s focus is not on superficial matters or pretenses; God knows our hearts.

Sometimes, I wonder if we do. Do we know the root of our attitudes and behaviors? More specific to this text, do we see every human being as God’s handiwork? Recognizing that God created the person or people that we consider to be different from us, who may even routinely annoy us, or those who we just do not understand can help break down the barriers that have erupted over time. I say erupted, like a volcano, because our disagreements often arise unexpectedly and without warning. They certainly can flow swiftly and destroy everything in their wake.

But we can choose another way. We can choose to love our neighbor, not just as a way to be obedient to God’s command. We can choose love as the only faithful response to God’s creative work. We don’t have to know why God loves someone to know they are worthy of love. Love isn’t, after all, something we deserve or earn, it’s a gift we’re expected to give as those crafted in the image of Love. And all of us are God’s one family.

Ready for the reunion and restoration,

Be well,

Pastor Cheryl

Let us encourage one another. Let us love our neighbor. Let us be the church.