"The Moccasin Walk"
February 27, 2005

The Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 133
The New Testament Lesson: I John 2: 7 - 11

Love Each Other within the Body of Christ

I.  The Old New Commandment.
   A. Bill Cosby once observed that all parents sound like idiots!
        1. There are many clues that this is true.
        2. The primary one is that they can’t remember what they’ve said
            a. The continually repeat themselves to their young children
            b. They forget many important facts.
        3. Just listen to what parents say:
            a. “How many times have I told you…”
            b. Confused Math: “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you 1000 times!”
            c. And the most telling statement of all, “Do you think I’m an Idiot?”
            d. I’ve promised myself never to ask that one.  I know the answer.
        4. Those of us who are parents know that these remarks don’t really reflect on our memories.
            a. They are statements of frustration over having to repeat the obvious
            b. What is an easy lesson turns out to be difficult to implement.
        5. The Apostles have much in common with parents!
   B. John actually addresses us as his children.  (I wonder if it is because we often act like children.)
        1. In the instructions he gives in his first letter, he admits repetition.
        2. These are things that they already know
            a. He is reminding them of past lessons.
            b. attempting to inspire them to practice them more faithfully.
        3. And what it the center of all this teaching? Love each other!
   C. The section we read emphasizes our need to love each other.
        1. This is not a new commandment.
            a. He is not offering them innovative teaching.
            b. He is not expecting them to struggle with the meaning.
            c. They are not going to puzzle out what he is talking about.
        2. This is not supposed to be really hard either.
            a. What he is asking of them is something that should come naturally.
            b. They have known this truth since the very beginning.
        3. Here it is: love your brother and sister!
            a. Is anyone here shocked by that?
            b. Did this truth sneak up on you and catch you unawares?
        4. What should surprise us is that there is a need to say this: even once
            a. Yet, there is a need to say it.
            b. In fact, there has been a need to repeat it to this present day.

II.  Why is there a need?
   A. I have often asked myself why this is so difficult to do.
        1. It seems like a no brainer!
        2. But in reflection there are many reason for this truth.
   B. The first thing is that we are like a family.
        1. We live together and work together day after day.
        2. We come to develop sore spots as we rub against each other.
        3. Thus, we are in a position to irritate each other.
        4. We see that same pattern in our homes.
            a. Brothers and sister squabble among themselves.
            b. While they may actually love each other, they fight together.
            c. A person on the outside probably wouldn’t even see why.
   C. We are competing over limited resources.
        1. We each have our own emphasis over what the church should do.
            a. There are various mission projects that require funding.
            b. There are education programs that need supplies
            c. There are music groups that need materials and people.
        2. People who work in the church want their priority on top!
        3. That can lead to arguments and hard feelings.
   D. But, more than any thing else, our egos get in the way!
        1. We have the feeling that we know best.
        2. Our opinion is the most correct, everyone should agree with us.
        3. Our need is the most urgent, others should stand aside.
        4. And getting into these conflicts can produce hard feelings within the family of faith.
            a. people harbor their anger.
            b. They hold grudges.
            c. The love we are supposed to hold turns into the canker of hate

III.  So we are reminded to love each other. How do you live this basic truth?
   A. There is an old Indian Proverb: do not judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.
        1. There are many variations on that including using shoes.
        2. I like this form because it uses moccasin.
            a. that is not the normal footwear that we use.
            b. it points to me that there is a difference in experience.
            c. I have never walked a mile in any moccasins.
            d. used hiking boots, running shoes, cross country boots, ski boots.
            e. what would it be like to go a mile in moccasins
        3. That’s the real difficulty…we can never experience someone else’s life the way they have.
            a. Ever had someone say “I know just how you’re feeling?” Wrong!
            b. No one knows exactly how another feels.
            c. We know what we’d be feeling in their place, but not how they feel.
        4. To hate someone, we must be able to judge them.
            a. To judge them, we’d have to be able to know what really happened.
            b. And, we’d have to be able to honestly say, we’ve have done better.
   B. The call to love each other is a call to many important qualities.
        1. First, it is a call to compassion.
            a. We are trying to grow in our understanding of each others trails.
            b. We need to understand the difficulties they’ve experienced.
            c. We have to get a glimpse of the other’s perspective.
        2. Secondly, it is a call to forgiveness.
            a. I’ve already said that God’s love is full of forgiveness.
            b. That is the way we experience the presence and love of God.
            c. Knowing how we’ve been forgiven should guide us toward forgiveness for others.
            d. We pray weekly for this capacity: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors!”
        3. Thirdly, it is a call to acceptance.
            a. We are all at different stages of our spiritual journey.
            b. Some are further along than others.
            c. All of us are taking a slightly different pathway because God deals with us as individuals.
            d. We need to let God deal with our brothers and sisters as He wishes!
   C. The call to live as God’s children is a call to grace-filled living.
        1. Last Sunday, one of the member quipped to me: With this low attendance, I won’t feel guilty about going skiing!
            a. That often is our motivation: avoid guilt.
            b. I said, “We don’t believe in guilt, we believe in grace.
        2.  Begin called to grace is a positive way of living.
            a. It comes from being forgiven and forgiving.
            b. It comes from opening to God’s power in our lives.
            c. It leads to love.  First for the family of faith and then for all people.

Today, I want you to think about your relationships within the family of Christ.  Are they characterized by love?  Do you truly yearn for the very best for each believer you meet, whether or not they agree with you?  That is the true test of the presence of Christ in this place.  We are the people God is calling us to be when we pray for and encourage everyone who walks the road of God with us!

And as you go from this place, may you walk in the way of Christ Jesus and May God always find you faithful!