Joshua 5:13-15 ESV
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
REFERENCES: Genesis 1:26-27, Matthew 7:3-5
If you’ve ever seen a mosaic , you’ll notice that no two pieces of glass are alike. Each piece is unique in shape, color and texture; but connected by a common adhesive that keeps them together. As God’s divine creation, our differences are variations of what we have in common: an image of the living God. When we seek to see our similarities, we can better love, understand and serve each other.
We are all equally human
We do not need to live in in-groups and out-groups. When we group each other we end up living our lives by labels, but what we think is different is actually a variation of the same thing. We get to choose what we see. As God’s children we are called to honor all.
Unless we practice seeing another person's perspective, we can unintentionally discriminate against their reality. Choose to become more aware of how your decisions can become biased towards another person.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:3-5
While we may be tempted to apply the world’s filter to how we see others, it is imperative that we see our fellow man through the eyes of God. We are all made in His image regardless of our perceived differences, therefore we are all worthy of being treated honorably while extending respect and compassion to others. Only the label of “neighbor” applies when it comes to how we should interact with people. As brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we are to be the blueprint for unity.
This week, have a racial consultation with a trusted friend. Pray that the Holy Spirit exposes any blind spots that need to be corrected while revealing the similarities within your differences. Remain open to their perspective while being honest with your own, keeping in mind the ultimate goal of fostering unity among the body of Christ. Also: consider signing up for The Third Option VOUS Care group or reading “The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation” by Pastor Miles McPherson to better expand your awareness.
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Friday, March 29 – Good Friday
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We live in the tension of present hard times and coming good times. In this gap, our faith is formed. The gathering of the saints produces perseverance for you to run your race of faith. VOUSCon is this moment.
June 20-22
Miami, FL
As we create an atmosphere that glorifies God, we create space for Him to move. As servant leaders, we carry the culture. Because we value Con, we invest in it.