The WELL

What the world needs now is still love, sweet love.  How is this love accomplished?  Empathy.  We must put ourselves in the other person's place.  We explore every avenue of possibility in regard to why the person behaves as they do.  We have to ask ourselves questions that lead us to loving even our enemy.  Jesus looked at his accusers and determined that they should be forgiven because they just simply had no clue.  Why should they be held accountable when they just did not know what they were doing?  He chose to forgive.  This forgiveness was founded in a genuine love for the ones who appeared to be the enemy.  What do we learn from the Easter experience?  We should certainly take more away than free salvation.  We should learn empathy.  It's Love They Neighbor 101.  On good Friday, we should die to self and allow God to create in us a new heart that is filled with love which uses empathy in every situation to fuel...

It is evident that many will join a church.  Many will claim a denomination.  Some will even buy the bumper sticker declaring their love for Jesus Christ, but the question is: will you follow Christ?  Will you lose all, leave all, give all for the cause of Christ?  How many of us really are willing to live a Christ-like life?  At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I must say: not many.  Most of us are doing what comes "naturally."  We are doing what "feels good."  We are even "following our hearts."  But few are following Christ.  The way of Christ is a difficult way.  It is a challenging way.  If we are honest about the Christ revealed through the Gospels, the life is not an easy one, nor is it glamorous.  There isn't anything natural about someone living a vagabond life so that others might be secure.  We can all agree that being denied by the very folks that you have saved certainly couldn't feel all that good. ...