Despite Our Differences, We All Need Jesus’ Love & Forgiveness

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘We love <Jesus> because He first loved us.’ (1 John 4:19)

Back in the days of Babel, in Genesis 11:1-9, we find the people were more than fairly similar.  This was after the Flood of Noah, and Babel was populated with people descended from the Noah’s sons, as Babel was in today’s Iraq. 

Some were sons of Shem, as Iraq or Babylon is where the city of Ur, Abraham’s ‘hometown’ before he left for Canaan (later Israel), was located.  One of Shem’s sons was named ‘Peleg’ which meant ‘divided’, and this became a harbinger for folks of Babel.  They decided to build a tower that would reach Heaven, and while we know that likely wouldn’t occur, God knew that this pursuit was not good for man and divided the people by giving groups of them distinct but separate languages.

These people, now confused and without smartphones in their day to easily translate (perhaps more of a blessing than the curse it appeared to be), they gather by the languages they understood and began leaving Babel.  The Lord scattered the people all over the Earth, including North and South America.

This scattering was not due to God hating the people, but in loving them. Their pursuit was not to worship Him but to become ‘Him’. The scattering caused the people, unfortunately in varying degrees, to depend on Him more and on ‘self’ less, to be more reliant on what God provided the groups according to their surroundings and environment. 

Since the scattering, we have consolidated into groups of varying likes and dislikes.  The Inuit or Eskimo people love some good fatty seal meat, Middle Eastern folks love lamb and goat, and we ‘Muricans!’ love a good juicy beef steak.  Much of this tends to be due to what the land offers, and much also determines our customs and traits.

Where the people resided after the scattering have a large part to play in this.  It’s cold in the Arctic regions where the Eskimo live, and it takes a fatty animal (like a seal) to have the insulation to live in that area for hunting.  Arabia is hot and the animals there (like goats) are such that can subside on little water and scrub plants.  The US has an abundance of grasslands for cattle and other livestock to eat. 

But those who we are different from, we are also much alike; we love, we seek happiness, and we suffer sorrows.  We have different customs, but overall we are very similar to our needs, including the need to have Faith in our Creator. 

A pretty easy verse to understand, but a little deeper dig into it you realize the importance of what it is saying.  We all have faults, and I’m certain there are possible traits and tendencies that I carry that have you saying ‘Elmer’s a great guy, but he is….’  It could be the unshorn hair and beard, it could be the ‘green/camo’ look (although camo is harder to come by in Walmart, my favorite clothier, so anymore its ‘khaki/tan’), it could be my conservative take on things (facts over feelings – though I do have feelings as well). 

It’s OK to have these opinions of me because truthfully (facts over feelings) I have many of the same viewpoints on each of you – of everyone I meet and know, and likely so do you.  There are a myriad of things we all have that we look at each other, some with more and some with less but we all have that opinion that makes us less-than-perfect in each other’s eyes.  Most are little piques that aren’t even worth mentioning, and if it is something that is troubling, we should have already talked to each other about them. 

These viewpoints form on what we see on the outside; just think what they would be if we knew what each were thinking, or if we knew everyone’s deep, dark secrets or desires.  We are sinners first, and we were born inherently bad with a proclivity to do bad things.

But Jesus loves us enough to see not only the outward appearance we share but our inward thoughts as well, and still ready to accept us into His family when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  We can never please each other fully (if you’re married you know this is true) but Jesus unconditionally loves us enough that he accepts us even at our worst.  Jesus doesn’t care about anything we have done or will do as long as we fully accept Him as Lord and Savior and follow His plans for our lives. 

We are imperfect in part due to our differences, but He still loves us unconditionally, and makes us perfect in His glory.  Jesus loved us enough to die for us before we were even born, as He knew we were coming and knew we needed a Savior; a Sacrifice worthy to forgive us of all of our sins.  He first loved us, so we could fall in love with Him.