Rom. 12:9-10 – Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them… Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other… 16 Live in harmony with each other… 18 Do all you can to live in peace with everyone.
Lord Jesus, this “uptick” in the “Delta” virus has reminded me, I have friends who have yet to gather for a memorial service to honor a deceased family member. During the worse of Covid, families couldn’t gather, so memorials were delayed. 300 person weddings became 30 guests and a video camera. Family vacations and birthday parties were canceled.
This portion of your Word comes like a wake-up call to all of us. We may have to delay a funeral, but we must not delay giving grace, extending mercy, and really loving. “Do all you can to live in peace with everyone”—Paul’s words, your Word, really couldn’t be any clearer.
Reconciliation takes two. But we can seek to be at peace, all by ourselves. Jesus, what grudges are we holding, what hurts are we nursing, what differences are we fertilizing that, standing over a grave, will shrink from 107 pounds to 47 ounces of weightiness?
You aren’t calling us to pretend, denial, or dishonesty. You’re calling us to yourself. To love as you love us. To forgive as you’ve forgiven us. To start overlooking some stuff, and stop under-believing the Gospel. Help us Jesus, while it is still today. In the riches of your grace, and greatness of your name, we pray, Amen.
