Faith and Reason 5
PEACE AND LOVE
[MATTHEW 7:1]NLT- Do not judge others and you will not be judged
[LUKE 6:27-28]NIV- But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you.
[LUKE 17:20-21]AMPC- Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them saying, "The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed, or with visible display; nor will people say, Look! Here it is! or see! It is there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you (in your hearts) and among you (surrounding you).
[LUKE 7:47]NLT- I tell you, her sins- and they are many- have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love, but a person who is forgiven little, shows only little love.
[REVELATION 22:3-5] NIV- No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of the lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light and they will reign for ever and ever.
As the kingdom of God is established, we see each other as though each of us were a disciple of Christ, in the same way that God looks at us and sees the blood of Christ and forgives us. What makes us define each other as enemies is our inability to reconcile our differences, but if we are led by love and forgiveness, just as each of us has been loved and forgiven, we will see the establishment of the Kingdom of God before our very eyes. We would become able to co-exist with people of different religious and cultural beliefs, while also being at peace with each other. We would no longer release harsh words into the atmosphere as seeds for destructive spirits to be transmitted, but through the wisdom of Jesus Christ, we would be able to resolve issues of internal conflict without external casualties, and be able to maintain harmony throughout our communities. We of the Christian faith must lead by example, as light bearers for all other peoples to follow suit, and control our temple gates for the benefit of all life.
As I call all of us to become the salt of the earth, it is my prayer that this small reading will be a seed that is capable of growing into a strong tree within you, bearing good fruit. When this is now our full experience, the voice of our God becomes our voice of wisdom and reason, and the more people that subscribe to this way of thinking, the more we develop unity of purpose, living in love, fellowship and the grace of God. May peace dwell with you as a blessing hereafter, all the days of your life, until eternity and infinity become One in His Presence.
[2 CORINTHIANS 13:14]NIV- May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
By Kudakwashe Kanengoni
