Christian Living

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THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE

The big black Lab (100 lbs. or so) lay stretched out on the floor. Right in the middle of his stomach lay a 3 or 4 month old kitty, sound asleep. It reminded of the Scripture that says the lion will lie down with the lamb, and there was something wonderfully comforting in the scene. Neither was worried nor afraid because neither had suffered harm at the other’s hands.

The thought lingered with me as I extrapolated the scene into the human condition. If neighbors treated each other with kindness and respect, if parents were patient and long-suffering with their children as they grew up, if husbands and wives loved and respected each other, what a difference there would be in how it now is. Small wonder that the Second Commandment is to love one another. Love begets love every time. And even if not everyone, but just a preponderance of people practiced it, think what a different world this would be! And it is learned behavior, one at a time, so one person, one family, one business manager, one company owner, one church, could actually change the world, generation after generation, into how it ought to be. I think we’d be pleased with the overall result, and the Second Commandment would not lie shattered at our feet, angels would rejoice, God would smile and we would be blessed eternally.

Instead we keep practicing the same behaviors, doing the same things over and over again that cause harm, unrest, discomfort, endless sorrow and hopelessness. Wonder why? Are we incredibly slow learners? The world is a beautiful place. We are the only thing wrong with it. And should we choose, we can at least correct our corner of it if we cared enough—and that would be a beginning toward a better world and how it ought to be. And Love one another would not be just a mantra we utter, but obedience to God’s command, which, by the way, is binding whether it is obeyed or not.

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