| JANUARY 2, 2024 -- Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133
And the second is like unto it: thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. Matthew 22
In many contexts brotherhood and community are synonyms; they both refer to working together for a common purpose. A similar word is “family”. God calls all of us to live together in unity, as a world- wide family, and to recognize that we are meant to treat each other as brothers and sisters. And yet, as we look at the world around us it is obvious that we fall far short of this standard. From horrendous international conflicts to both verbal and physical conflicts within our own country it sometimes seems that lack of brotherhood is the dominant theme.
I do not pretend to be an expert as to what causes this state of disruption, but it seems to me that in many cases the greed and desire for wealth and power of a few individuals is used to incite others to hate and violence. This is most obvious in Putin’s attacks on Ukraine but is also present among political and [I hate to say it] some religious leaders in our own country.
We, as individuals, must learn to turn our backs on those who incite hatred, and instead follow God’s instructions to see the good in all our fellow human beings. I implore you, brothers and sisters, to turn your backs on the purveyors and preachers of hate and violence. God loves all his children, imperfect though they are, and wants us to do so also. Look for the good in others, forgive their imperfections, and hope that they, in turn, will forgive our own imperfections, for we are all guilty of things we should not have done, or in neglecting things that we ought to have done.
Remember the words of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
Also, the song in our Grange songbook:
Let there be peace on earth, And let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth, The peace that was meant to be
With God as our father, Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony
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