It is hard to love people. Especially, people who are not like you and are strangers to you….

Have you gone to a public place and ever just observed people and what they are doing? And thoughts like, “How can they be like that?”, “Why would anyone wear that?”, or “How can they treat their kids like that?” went through your mind? And usually those people are from a different culture, socio-economic bracket, age group, or ethnicity from us. We love the people who are like us that we know, but we really don’t care for the rest. Certainly not enough to sacrifice anything of significance for them.

This is where I find the cross of Jesus Christ so perplexing. I know it is love that drove Christ to the cross – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” But my question is why? Why does God love the world so much? He loved it so much so that He gave His Son! But I don’t see why He should love it so much! All I see in the world is hatred, selfishness, boasting, dishonesty, laziness, etc. What is there to love?

Well, that’s where I fall short of the glory of God. And that’s where I realize that I too am selfish, unloving, apathetic, dishonest, etc.

At a time like that – when I realize how much of a sinner I am – all I can say is, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, a sinner!”

It would take a miracle for us to love people who are not like us. Pray for a miracle. But act the miracle also. When you come across people today that you never thought twice about, think, “These are the people for whom my Savior died.”

PH