photo #7827786

The world may seem more divided than ever before, at least if we listen to the news. China, America, South Korea, North Korea, Africa, the Middle East, Muslims, Jews, rich, poor, north, south...the list of divisions can go on and on. Think about where you are from: is there a group or groups of people that you are "supposed" to be different from?In America, there is even today a split on the Mason-Dixon line, splitting the north and south during the Civil War. As an American, I can surely tell you that there is little difference between people in Maryland and in Virginia, yet they are supposedly on different sides. As a person that has traveled all over the world, I can also tell you that what I, an American, care about it nearly identical to what people in China, Brazil, and Africa care about.We are all the same in the eyes of God. Consider these verses: do we not want the same things? Family, love, health, fulfillment. It is not different for a person in China as it is for a person in Australia. We all want to survive and thrive, being happy and safe along the way. Focusing on the differences and the divisions is not what Paul says important in these verses. Instead, we should focus on what binds us: a loving God, even to those that do not love Him back.