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And Love will look like everyone using their diverse gifts,
Swan 1
1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27 NIV & Romans 12:9-21 MSG
“LOVE LIKE IT’S YOUR OWN BLOOD”
Like last week, I will be continuing the reading I began, from the Message translation.
From Romans 12: Hear the Word of the Lord as I read it aloud.
… Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it.
9-10
Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.
Swan 2
1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27 NIV & Romans 12:9-21 MSG
“LOVE LIKE IT’S YOUR OWN BLOOD”
20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry,
Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
...This is the Word of the Lord, and thanks be to God for it.
Loving deeply, and realizing that Jesus died for that person sitting next to you,
Swan 3
1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27 NIV & Romans 12:9-21 MSG
“LOVE LIKE IT’S YOUR OWN BLOOD”
The person you chose not to sit next to,
The person that serves you when you go to lunch after church,
A lot of times, it can be hard to honor all these people as higher than ourselves,
I’m reminded of when I visited Casa de Luz, House of Light, in the DR,
A home for children with special needs and very serious physical abnormalities.
Lucas and Tempura needed to work, so they had to leave their son with a sitter.
Soon, it became apparent that their son was being abused by the caregiver.
And came to find out that there were many other children in a similar situation.
It was not very long after that when Casa de Luz was full of children with severe needs.
Parents would show up or just drop off their children, many to not be seen again.
Very seldom do any of the children get visits from their families.
But Lucas and Tempura love them like they are their own blood.
Swan 4
1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27 NIV & Romans 12:9-21 MSG
“LOVE LIKE IT’S YOUR OWN BLOOD”
Through selfless staff who care for the children,
Bathing them multiple times a day, and giving them physical therapy.
It really is a curious thing, how a beautiful place such as this can be underfunded,
Though I miss that place, as I tell a small bit of their story to you,
A few short hours later, my mission team concluded our trip in the DR,
You spend all this time beforehand preparing to the best of your abilities
Swan 5
1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27 NIV & Romans 12:9-21 MSG
“LOVE LIKE IT’S YOUR OWN BLOOD”
You get there, excited for all these days ahead of you,
Then, once you think you are getting the hang of the culture and new way of life,
Then getting connected to a place I never heard of in a state I have never been.
Many phone calls with the Pastor later, I created a learning covenant,
So I could keep track of personal and ministry goals during my precious time here.
And just when I think I might be getting the hang of this Southern thing,
Swan 6
1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27 NIV & Romans 12:9-21 MSG
“LOVE LIKE IT’S YOUR OWN BLOOD”
Just like when I had to leave the community in Cristo Rey,
Now it’s time for me to leave you all, I mean… y’all in Orangeburg,
We have hope that we will never meet a Christian for the last time.
And we will never be too far from one another because of that.
Our God is doing great things here in Orangeburg, SC, in Cristo Rey, DR,
But I am beyond grateful I got to participate in a small piece of what God is doing here.
And loving his people, like they are your own blood. Amen
Swan 7