The key role of love and forgiveness after 9/11 - 1 John 4:7 with a story, an observation and a prayer

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:7 (The Message)
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God.

A STORY: by Marshall F. Mauney
A boy climbed high into a tree and refused to come down. Throughout dinner, which his parents ate with exaggerated relish in the boy’s sight, remarking frequently and fatuously upon the particular delights of the meal, the boy clung stubbornly to his limb, far too high for his father to climb after him. They tried everything, the mother whined frantically to the doctor hours later over the telephone. Everything meant threats, bribery, cajolery, lies, warnings, and screams. “We told him he’d fall and hurt himself. We told him we’d call the fire department, and the firemen would say what a baby he was. We told him he’d catch cold and get sick. We told him there were owls in the tree that would peck his eyes out. We told him he’d get thrashed within an inch of his life if he didn’t come down. We’ve tried everything.” “Did you tell him simply that you wanted him to come down because you loved him and wanted him to be with you?” the doctor asked. “Well, no,” she said. She called back a few minutes later to say that the boy, who had been waiting for five hours to hear just that, had come right down.

AN OBSERVATION:
It isn’t rocket science … we all need love … we all need to hear that we are loved, needed and wanted. It is basic to the very fiber of our being. It can make the difference between mental and emotional health. And yet, it would seem that we go out of our way to keep from telling those around us – the important people around us – that they we love them and desire to be with them.

While growing up most of our parents spent more time and energy trying to control us instead of loving us … I know that mine did. Now, to be honest, I probably gave them every reason to react that way to my behavior, but in these later years of life the thought has crossed my mind would my behavior been different if they communicated their love for me. The answer is, yes!

Jesus’ teachings on loving our “enemies” – you define “enemies” anyway you wish to define it, but in this context it could mean any person who stands outside of the behavior norm of what you expect or desire. That should include a lot of people. If we followed his directive and loved those who are different, who act differently, who choose to rebel … maybe, just maybe they would act differently.

As much as it pains me to say it (because of strong political differences), but maybe Ron Paul has it correct concerning the Arabs and their attack on the World Trade Centers. It was something that I heard on my very first trip to Israel in 1984 and that being, the United States needs to start treating the Palestinians with the same respect and support that we give to Israel. Also, it would be a wise decision to remove any and all military presence off of Arab land. And the Christian Arab, who was my bus driver, went on to express his fear that something horrible would happen if we didn’t. His words were ringing in my ears on 9/11. His predictions had come true some 17 years later.

Everyone – and I mean everyone – needs to hear that they are loved and needed. Even our enemies!

PRAYER:
Gracious God help to love the unlovable. Help me to forgive those who do not seem to want to be forgiven because they don’t think that they have done anything wrong. Help me to reach out and start to bring peace in the world that is at odds with itself. Help me to be your follower. In the name of Jesus who loved those who crucified him. Amen