Good Morning! Today is our grand-daughter Gabi’s 8th birthday in Brazil.

Romans 12:16  Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. (The Message)

Have you noticed that Jesus could relate well to anyone?  Tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, Samaritans,  – everyone that the Pharisees had an attitude about.   What an example Jesus is for us.  The Pharisees, on the other hand, appear to be a strong example for us on how not to relate to others.  They put people into categories and were consumed with pride and arrogance. Their blindness to this condition caused them to miss the miracle-working Messiah who was right in front of them.

Unfortunately, there are cultural tendencies that we live with that encourage us to look down upon people that are members of various groups.  This can lead us to be proud or arrogant about groups we might belong to.  If we have experienced such condescension or discrimination, we know first hand how refreshing it is to have relationships where this negative baggage is not present; where we are treated as people of worth.  Living out today’s verse is imperative for us, in all the circumstances of our lives: church, work, daily interactions, family and friends.

At Williamson Christian College (where I work) we are experiencing the blessing of having an incredible mix of students from about 18 different countries.  We have home grown Americans, immigrants, refugees and foreign students.  Although the majority of our students are Christian, there are any number of other religions represented including Hindu, Islam and Buddhist.  We have the honor of serving them all – helping and enabling them to pursue their education.

Our college and curriculum are Christ-centered and the students all understand that.  What an opportunity for us to live out our faith!  Our faith is reflected in how we as staff get along with and serve one another.  It is revealed in the quality of relationships that faculty and staff and students have with each other.  Students are not required to become Christian to attend WCC, but they are going to be exposed to the Christian faith; both in terms of teaching and in the overall experience they have here.  The qualities reflected in these verses of Romans 12:9-21 (that we have been looking at) are required of us, in order for the Christian faith we demonstrate to be the real thing!