Too much in common not to love one another

Too much in common not to love one another

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”    1 John 4:7 (NASB)

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

Reality will make you take a closer look at yourself and the people around you even if you don’t want to. Death is an inevitable part of life and one of the most realist  things you will ever be a part of. It is so real that it is final on this side.

This past week my family saw two of our loved ones transition from this life into the everlasting life within hours of each other. Witnessing that made me really take a close look at family relationships. I don’t know about you, but my families are far from being perfect. As we all know imperfection can breed flawed and blemished people that produce defective relationships, creating dysfunctional families. Our families are not alone in this quagmire of normal abnormalities and dysfunction which creates a snowball effect. I would imagine that dysfunctional families create a dysfunctional world. If you don’t believe me just take a look around and acknowledge all sorts of different things that have plagued your families; oh, excuse me, I mean your cousins’ families.

It’s true that families are to love one another and in love it means we accept each other’s fallibilities supposedly unconditionally. What’s so sad about this is that we don’t realize it until we are at a homegoing service of a loved one and all of a sudden you remember, wow that’s my loved one lying there lifeless.

Too late!

In the midst of these heart-wrenching experiences, uncontrollable emotions fly like projectiles from heat-seeking missiles that could truly destroy families forever.

I don’t know about you, but have you ever watched a loved one or a close friend lying in a casket and thought to yourself. “One day that will be me?” It is during those moments that we truly realize we have a lot more in common that should draw us closer rather than create a disconnect. Unless our commonalities are so screwed up that our likenesses are downright despicable,  then we as family become our own worst enemies.

Before it is too late and our tongues have cleaved to the roofs of our mouths, let us not leave this place with any malice or ill feelings toward our love ones or anybody.

Let our commonalities be of love and peace and not of any animosities. Then we can truly say, “We have too much in common not to love one another.”

“Dear God, in Jesus’ name, teach me how to live my life that I can be at peace with all of your children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

GOD’S LOVE SHOULD BE OUR COMMONALITY