God is love - a Lenten series 26 Love shares
1 John 3:17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
The previous two posts on love, Love blesses the poor and Love feeds the hungry come from Jesus' sermon on the plain in Luke 6. I will continue through those beatitudes, but I wanted to pause here and look at John's commentary on love in action.
The needs of the poor are so great. I can do a little. My church can do a little more. A mission organization can do a little more. But a government that represents me as a citizen can levy taxes, not plead for donations. With taxes and laws, a citizen can be provided health care at a price they can afford. With taxes, a family can be given some money to help feed them for a month. With taxes, an laid off person can have enough time to find a job before they lose their home. With taxes, a person injured on the job will not lose their home and income as well as the use of their body. I don't think an economic case needs to be made to show why a government should do this, even though I think it can. Rather, I want my government to represent my compassion. I want my government to treat others the way I want to be treated, with compassion, understanding, and charity.
I know people abuse the system. I also know people take advantage of my personal charity, and my church's charity, and a mission organization's charity. But abuse does not negate correct use. As John says, let us love in action!
The previous two posts on love, Love blesses the poor and Love feeds the hungry come from Jesus' sermon on the plain in Luke 6. I will continue through those beatitudes, but I wanted to pause here and look at John's commentary on love in action.
The needs of the poor are so great. I can do a little. My church can do a little more. A mission organization can do a little more. But a government that represents me as a citizen can levy taxes, not plead for donations. With taxes and laws, a citizen can be provided health care at a price they can afford. With taxes, a family can be given some money to help feed them for a month. With taxes, an laid off person can have enough time to find a job before they lose their home. With taxes, a person injured on the job will not lose their home and income as well as the use of their body. I don't think an economic case needs to be made to show why a government should do this, even though I think it can. Rather, I want my government to represent my compassion. I want my government to treat others the way I want to be treated, with compassion, understanding, and charity.
I know people abuse the system. I also know people take advantage of my personal charity, and my church's charity, and a mission organization's charity. But abuse does not negate correct use. As John says, let us love in action!
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