Submitted by Pastor Andrew Sanders, Fairfax United Methodist Church
To all of God’s beloved who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7-8
What a wonderful greeting that the Apostle Paul offers to all the people of Rome, and to us as the reader. I wonder when we read the opening words of Romans 1 if we could see ourselves giving that greeting to all people. The stress of today’s world can leave one feeling quite grumpy, maybe hurt by careless words or actions. We seem to encounter actions such as flags flying with profanities in our front yards for our children to see, secular divisions, political tensions and a pandemic that has been used to divide. There are many who are worried about expressing their own opinions and they forget to greet others with civility and love.
In times of trouble, it is tempting to turn inward, trusting only in our own understanding. God didn’t intend for humans to be alone. The Lord calls us into community with one another to do as Paul did – admonish, lift up and love each other in the way that God loves us. Without allowing the grace of God to work in us and through us, we are like a candle in a stiff breeze. A candle in the path of the wind is threatened to be extinguished each time that a wisp of air happens by. Each time a breeze affects the fire of the candle the warmth dies down, and the light is dimmed. If that same candle is held by a steady hand that provides protection from the currents of the world’s wind then it provides the light and warmth of its full potential.
In today’s climate we may feel cold spiritually and emotionally which may leave some to feel that their light is not as bright. This is spiritual drain which is caused by fatigue of world events. To counter this atrophy of the Spirit one must live into the grace that God has placed within each person. The love of God surpasses all the atrocities of the world. In this knowledge we should love each other with kind speech, admonishing one another in love and grace, lending a hand, or ear where needed. This is the time to build up the people around you.
In Romans 1:8 Paul says “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed all throughout the world.
I give thanks to you who are acting as Christ’s ambassadors in the world. Each of you who are providing peace, grace, love and hope, continue to lean into the Spirit of Christ because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world! May the flame of the Spirit burn bright within you at all times.
