Let me take a stroll down a path that is becoming way too common these days. I will do so by taking a well-known verse and adapting it to the ways of the world. The truth will cause those around you to bind you and make you slaves to the culture of cancellation. Okay, this may be a tad harsh; or is it? Think of this for a moment while I tell you about a recent post I read on social media. There are those on social media who are on there for one main purpose; to stir up controversy. These keyboard cruisers love nothing more than to throw out a barb or a slam just to set the ball rolling. It is almost like the spark in a sea of gasoline. Should you decide to take a peaceful approach and suggest an alternate way to look at things, not only do they jump on the chance, but they also enlist the help of their entourage and will bully a person into submission. Say one wrong word and you are a target, respond and you feed the flame and if the foul is, in their opinion, so hurtful to their own stance, brace yourself for you could find yourself culturally cancelled. This is not a new thing, by the way, for many have been subject to cancellation, rejection, shunning and isolation just for speaking their mind.
In the Book of John chapter 8 verse 33, the people of the
time were convinced that they had never been slaves “But
we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to
anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”. They were convinced that they were fully set
apart because they followed the father, their father Abraham and would do
anything to see the Abrahamic law be seen through to the fullness of their
knowledge but Christ came to them with a reminder.
Jesus said to the people who
believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my
teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.” John 8:31-32
The Truth is not to bind us, it is not to be the agent of
separation but rather it is the Word of the Father and is intended to set us
all free, free from sin and despair. It is the Word of love and unification and
not of hate and cancellation. Those who hear the Word, respond to the Truth and
communicate the Message, truly understand the joy of selfless servitude,
whereas those who promote chaos and disharmony, are more into serving selfish
desires. A while ago, a group of people organized a charity fundraiser that was
going to cause a small inconvenience for the people of that community but the
benefits for that community far outweighed the disruption of personal
activities for a short period. A few people complained (mostly out of towners),
but for the most part, it was well received. Thank you to those who saw past the
personal and poured into the lives of others and waited patiently. My challenge
for those who find it so necessary to be a part of the noise of the world, seek
out the peace and compassion of the Lord, think of others before self and choose
to be a part of the solution rather than a creator of strife. If we commit to
building each other up, what a wonderful change we could make.
This Sunday, we are able to open up to 1/3 capacity and are
looking forward to welcoming a few more people in person. We invite you to join
us either in person at 10:30 AM Sunday or online at:
Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31
YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA
We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Todd
www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com
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