40 Days of Seeking Him Lent 2012 ~ All One Family
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Along with my concerns over different threats to religious freedom, I have also been preoccupied over how we treat others. It is easy to say that we are all brothers and sisters, but it can be a challenge to act accordingly.
By Gustavo Facci from Argentina (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
There were 2 reasons why this has been on my mind this week. First off was a flurry of activity on a Facebook page when a company patronized by many Catholic women stated how they were burdened (as in worried) about those who were Catholic and not living the Word of God. (At least that’s the gist of what the initial comment was.) What followed was comment after comment by Catholic women stating how they could not purchase more products and support someone who was anti-Catholic. Then, a few non-Catholics jumped into the mix and defended the company’s choice to post their worry and a few were dancing around the occasional retort that Catholics are not saved and going to heaven. Why I let myself get dragged down that ‘rabbit trail’ the other night is beyond me. But, I gave up reading after 30 minutes and decided to just pray.
The next day found me at our MOMS group at the parish. The theme for the week was stress, something ALL mothers have. What jumped out at me during the session was a particular Scripture we spent some time in prayer and discussion over.
Prayer for the Readers.
*14For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom every family* in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,l
17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,m
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,n
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.o
20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,p
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
As we went around that room talking about which section jumped out at us, I was feeling a bigger tug towards the first 2 verses. I’d already shared how during my preparations for the session I was struck by verse 20. And, it is an awesome reminder that God is bigger than everything else and able to move those mountains. But, in light of my rabbit trail the night before the other verse really struck me.
How easy it is to forget that God created ALL human beings in His image, regardless upon what kind of relationship they have with Him. Praying that all will know Him is admirable, but we need to remember that just because someone is of a different denomination of Christianity, we should not presume they do not have a personal relationship with God.
This year, I am joining Trish @ A House Upon the Rock in co-hosting the 40 Days of Seeking Him meme. The linky will be up each week so you can add in posts daily, weekly, or whenever you are able. The posts can be about anything related to Lent and preparing for Easter ~ crafts, food, devotions, music or reflections are all welcomed.
I hope you will join us on this journey as we prepare our hearts to receive the wonderful gift of salvation we’ve been given through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
It’s sad that people feel that way and I’m even sadder that you were stressed by their words. It’s tough, especially online, because people tend to be more cruel than in person.
I think that belief that only a certain type of Christian is a real Christian is taught in certain churches – I know it was the case when I was growing up. It is a division that is created – why? I don’t know.
I’m glad that you are secure enough in your relationship with God to know true love and acceptance.
Its sad that some people still believe such things. I can say it is hard not to get caught up into things. I did once with a Jewish lady. They were very mean and ignorant about the Christian faith. Now all I do is pray but sometimes I find myself still drawn because when lies are spread they get bigger and more awful.
Prayer is definitely a great first step for any situation. However, there are times when I think there is a need to clarify and share what is the truth with people. In that particular situation, some people did attempt to do so and were slammed by a few who disagreed with their statements. I’m just wishing I hadn’t spent the time even looking at it.