Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 NIV
Love and Compassion
According to the city’s official tourism website, love is in the air and Montréal is decked out in its finest finery to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style. The website suggests a number of ways to celebrate this day of love: “Go for a romantic stroll, make a skate date with your special someone, feast on delicious meal for two or savour decadent heart-shaped sweets. However you choose to mark the day, Montréal adds a special spark of magic.”
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I’m sure you’ve noticed that people are far from perfect. Even those of us who are followers of Jesus know that we fall far short of God’s call to be perfect as He is perfect. Even within the fellowship of believers, people say or do things to each other that can cause disagreement and pain. The New Testament speaks to this often, in Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17 and throughout the epistles. The apostle Paul speaks to this in Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” We who have experienced God’s forgiveness are called, in turn, to forgive others. We are first called to be kind and compassionate – doing so prevents any need to forgive. What a blessing it would be in our fellowship within our local church if we would be kind, compassionate and forgiving. How many church splits and painful relationships would be prevented and healed if we took seriously Paul’s admonition here. Let’s act like Jesus – let’s practice kindness and compassion with everyone and forgive others in the same way that we have experienced in Jesus.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley