God is my Spinach

 

Gods Love and Grace

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God;

He is the faithful God,”

(Deuteronomy 7 v 9)

June and I are close to people of varied faiths. Through our association with each, we have come to a strong belief that we all worship the same God in different ways, and we all experience God’s grace.

Several years ago, we became good friends with the family of an executive from Pakistan, and it was our first real close relationship with a Muslim family. We were close to them in 2001 and observed the frustration that a true Muslim felt regarding September 11.

Recently a Jewish friend that I have known and liked for years shared with me that he does bible studies to learn about the Christian perspective. His strong family values, general upbeat personality, and strong ethical standards make him someone I am glad to know.

We have spent many Sundays with my family in Unitarian Meeting Houses when we return to Massachusetts. We are learning more about my mom’s grandparents, who were Unitarian ministers.

To avoid making this a 10,000-word essay, let me summarize some of our other relationships: A son in law who is a Southern Baptist, a brother in law who is a Catholic priest in the UK, a Buddhist sister in law, a Mormon best friend who lost touch with his faith, a Native American friend who has involved us in some spiritual activities, and the list goes on.

In each instance mentioned, June and I have experienced good friendships and observed solid, godly values in our friends. We have observed God working in our friends’ lives in most instances and see God’s grace at work in many ways. Most importantly, we have experienced God’s grace through our friends.

Thought for the Day: Recognize those around us that are different and try to befriend someone new. Seek out someone that looks at God differently. The Lord blesses them also.

Prayer for the Day: Dear faithful Lord and Father, the world is an incredible and wonderful creation. There are many peoples of all colors and beliefs. There are generation gaps, social differences, and economic separations. Often the differences get in the way of social graces. Today we pray for the ability to bring unity to the world.

Amen