So, real talk time. What has this series on relationships brought up in your heart? In your life? In your spiritual walk? Shawn said a lot of things in the sermon this weekend that were with remember, but I think the part I want to sit with today is what he said almost at the very end of the message:
“Imagine what your relationships could look like if you looked more like Jesus. Think about the peace and reconciliation that could happen if your relationships were defined more by compassion, kindness, gentleness and love than anger, rage, gossip, and malice.”
I have long said that Mister Rogers is my hero. Of all of the things he’s quoted as saying, this one is my favorite: "There are three ways to ultimate success: the first way is to be kind. The second way is the be kind. The third way is to be kind.” In the face of tough relationships, choose to be kind. When someone wants to drive a wedge between you and someone else, choose gentleness. When you want to fight back and be angry because something has been done or said to hurt you, choose compassion. Choose to love first, to believe the best about people, and to keep your eyes on the cross. Jesus closed the gap between God and us using that cross, and we can use it as a reminder of how we should close the gap between us and others.