Article

Changing your vision

In today’s society it seems like love has gone down the list of aspired qualities, being trumped by attributes like self-sufficiency and intellect. But if we were all made up of just those qualities, and abandoned love, society would become a cold, selfish place.

Love and compassion are increasingly becoming synonymous with naivety and ignorance in society; and fears of world conflicts are ever-present in the media, forcing people to lean towards apathy for the sake of possibly keeping themselves safer.

I think, that what we all forget sometimes – or choose to ignore – is that we are much more like everyone else than we realise. We are all human. We are all created by God. He loves each of us the same. God wants to have a relationship with us just as much as he wants to have one with any other human that he designed in loving care.

I used to think that Muslims were people who thought they had it all figured out, and they thought that their religion was the best and that was the end of it. But a story of a man during Ramadan made me realise that most Muslims are just like us; they want a close and fulfilling relationship with God just as much as we do.

This man was praying to “Allah” to reveal Himself to him, begging to feel close to Him, desperate for a closer relationship with Him. As he was praying, the painting behind him fell to the ground and behind it was a painting of Jesus on the cross. At that moment he gave his life to Jesus.

As he was praying, the painting behind him fell to the ground and behind it was a painting of Jesus on the cross.

Not only is this a great testimony of the miracles that God will do for us, it is also a story that encourages compassion. This man, just like us, had a genuine desire for a relationship with God, for fulfillment and meaning in life. We were all created by God so I think that there must be some inner instinct that desires meaning and fulfillment – not emptiness – that will only be satisfied by a relationship with Him through Jesus.

God looks at every one of us with a fatherly love because he created us. This realisation came to me and completely altered how I looked at people. It made me more aware of how much I judge people and how unfair I have been, how those judgements affected the way I treat them. When I started to remind myself how God sees people – how lovingly he looks at his creation – I started to treat people more lovingly and am becoming more able to look past my pre-conceptions and prejudices.

I think that the best way to display the truth of the Gospel isn’t always preaching it from the rooftops, but it is the silent strength of living a life of love and compassion that displays the love of Christ so truthfully. People will see that instead of striving for self-centered achievement, instead of behaving coldly to others; we are warm and welcoming and kind.

This is why compassion and love are so important. They are a testament of the love of Jesus. Jesus didn’t pick and choose who would receive the Truth – he ate with prostitutes and tax-collectors. Jesus didn’t dissociate with sinners – he loved them. He loved the people needing loving. Jesus loved us so much that he died for us, letting us have a relationship with God again. How can we not share that news by spreading that love with our lives?

Notes
Read the original story that inspired this article here…