How Is Your Spiritual Vision

As a follower of Jesus how do you see those around you? As my eyes have gotten weaker, my spiritual vision has gotten clearer. I can honestly say I no longer see color or race any more. I see people of different shapes, sizes, customs, traditions, habits and languages. I see men and women, young and old with a common human experience. When you peel away our outer skin and look inside, we are ALL the same. We talk, laugh, cry, love, work, struggle and hope for a better life.
Paul reminds us that as Christians, we are ALL one in Christ Jesus. Through faith, we are ALL the same; we are cherished Sons and Daughters of the living God. We must all learn to see fellow Christians as family members in the body of Christ. It time that we come to understand we are ALL on the same journey.
Why do we compare, evaluate and judge? Why do we criticize and condemn? Why do we act as if we are better than our neighbor? At times, we all have: (1) been prideful, rebellious, and disobedient (2) chosen to go our own way (3) pretended we did not hear God calling or argued with Him (4) acted like spoiled little children (5) been selfish and self-centered (6) failed to remember when He made a way when we were in a ditch (7) felt fear, doubt and unbelief (8) cried out to God being tired of waiting and resorted to self-effort.
Friends, I praise God every day that Jesus died on the cross so we can have a new life filled with God love, mercy and grace. The blood of Jesus reconciled ALL of us to Him. His blood washed ALL of us clean from the filth and stench of sin. By faith in Jesus alone, we have ALL received gifts of mercy and grace which enable us to see others as brothers and sisters in Christ and say We are all one in Him. Lord, we thank you for your life-changing mercy and grace and we pray for all those whose vision is still distorted!
Grace and peace always,
Fr. Greg