126: A tough question for the Church | 1 Peter 3:8

Peter to the Church: “Be like-minded, sympathetic, compassionate, and humble.” Does this describe us today?

I love the Church. I really do. But I am also hard on the Church. This is born from my love for the Church. I truly want God’s best for the Church today in America and across the world. Sadly, Peter’s description of how Christians should live is not what I see many times. We aren’t like minded or sympathetic. Instead, we too easily get stuck in our own ways and our own view of the Bible and the world. Do we love others and show compassion? Or do we constantly try to “correct” others and look down on people who don’t hold our same views? And this isn’t Christians to the world. This is Christians to other Christians. But I believe we can do better. We have to do better. For many of us, I think we need these words from Peter. Yes, of course we need these words. But what I mean is that we actually need to see that Peter said them. If I didn’t know this verse, I would think that Peter-the forefather of the Church and friend of Jesus-would encourage us to stand firm and to not be sympathetic to others who are different. Yet, he doesn’t feel that way. He sees a compassionate Church who reaches out to others no matter who they are, where they’ve been, or what they believe. Church, I want to repeat Peter’s words for us today: Can we please be like-minded (as in, acting as one mind. Not always agreeing on everything), sympathetic to others who are different or hold different beliefs, love others constantly, show compassion to people, and remain humble and Christ-like? I love THAT view of the Church!

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