Carriers of Love - The Rev. Joyce Keeshin

We live in a time when the proclaiming of Christ's word may sometimes be used to divide us, not unite us. To judge us, separate us from one another. The distortion of Christ's message of love may be used to sound exclusive instead of the inclusive example Jesus actually taught and lived. Sometimes it feels heartbreaking that truth and faith and love can become so distorted and weaponized for very human agendas. In our very human lives, we may witness many divisions from politics to economics, to ecology, to healthcare, to diet, to education, to government, to justice. The list could go on and on. We see these divisions in headlines, in conflicts involving power, violence, manipulation, and distortion. We see these in our communities, in country, and around the world. And we often experience divisions in close relationships, within families, friendships, with colleagues, neighbors, others in our communities. We can be very clear about our experiences, our judgments, to respond to others. And we respond to others with judgment, accordingly, without effort, to find a place of listening, of reconciliation, of unity.