Vol. 20 No. 03 | January 15, 2018
“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.” (Matthew 5:7, The Message)
When you care, it hurts to see a person standing in the intersection selling papers on days when it’s too hot or cold to be outside. (or any day, for that matter.)
When you care, it’s disturbing to see news reports of an a 5-year old or 68-year old being killed in a neighborhood shooting.
When you care, it’s upsetting to learn that people who survived deadly storms from months ago are still struggling to find shelter, food, water, and medical care.
When you care, it’s maddening to hear the leader of our nation use disrespectful and bigoted language when speaking about people of the opposite sex or who have a different skin color, economic status, from a poverty-stricken country, or political view than his.
When you care, it’s upsetting when another person reveals they’ve been subjected to abuse and harassment by someone in a position of authority.
When you care, it’s disappointing when you learn someone you loved, admired, and respected did something to hurt you or someone else.
When you care, it offends you to see Christian people, or anyone for that matter, treating the server at a restaurant with disrespect.
When you care, it infuriates you to hear about a child who has been sexually abused, beaten, neglected, or abandoned.
When you care, it breaks your heart to learn about a woman who has been abused by her husband and is too afraid to leave.
When you care, you feel the pain of those around you…and it hurts.
There are times when I wish I didn’t care so much. There are times when I wish I could tune out all the pain and suffering and not have to deal with it.
But the fact is, I do care…as do you. And yes, it hurts, and I sometimes want to escape it. But then I revisit Jesus’s sermon:
“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.” (Matthew 5:7, The Message)
Life might be easier if we stop caring, but if we do, we’ll miss out on the care and love He promises us…and the care and love we receive from those we care for.
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