By Chris Grist
A while ago, one of my friends on Facebook shared a picture of the actor Robin Williams, with the words:
“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
I then shared it with my friends, a number of which then went on to share it with their friends. So in a short space of time, how many people actually saw the picture and read the words?
But (you should never start a sentence with ‘but’)…. Jesus said, “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34) This goes much deeper. This is a much bigger challenge. How far would you take this? I have many friends and family who I love deeply, but when push comes to shove, how much do we really love, how far would we really go?
At the gym and Ickworth (for those of you who don’t know, I volunteer for the National Trust at Ickworth, in Food and Beverage Admin), I spend much time offering that listening ear, showing care and concern, often going that extra mile. Not having children, I don’t fully relate to this, but I understand that parents would die for their children – the greatest sacrifice of all. I have had many close friends who I have given a great deal for, but we all fall short, when we consider Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
At times in my life, I have loved and cared so much, that in the end, it is me who gets hurt; although, to date, I haven’t had to die for anyone.
I’m sure you can all relate to this. Do be kind, do care, do love. Remember as Christians, we don’t just do it; we do it to show the love that Jesus showed us and wants us to share with the world.
(Photo by Adam Nemeroff on Unsplash)
