Feb 22 2025 15 mins
Dear friends- God calls us to be different! This week's Gospel reading outlines how. In today's world we are drawn by opposing forces- both to conform and be 'like' (or 'liked') by those around us, and to be 'individual' and stand out in the crowd. Many people spend lots of time, especially on social media platforms, trying to show what makes them special. Others look at those posts and try to shape themselves more closely to those they admire. All of us wish for our different qualities to be recognised and noticed by those we care about.
But Luke, Luke 6:27-38. recalls God's wish - for us to follow the example of Jesus. Luke tells us we are to be different. Not only different, but people who take the difficult routes in life, rather than those which are most comfortable for us. This includes loving those who are unkind to us, caring for those who steal from us and offering more of ourselves in love to those who disappoint us. This is not the same as the rosy pictures painted for us in people's carefully curated social media feeds. Yet this true difference is how Luke tells us others will know we belong to Jesus. Imagine how different our world could be if more people tried to shape themselves more closely to Jesus. May you walk His way this week.
The message was written and ptesented by Pr. Lassi Pappinen of Finnish Lutheran Church Sydney.