What news to receive; the love of his life, the promise of his future, is with child, and it cannot be his. Still, he loves her and will not force her to endure the publicity of such shame. He will break the engagement privately. He is a just man, but he is a caring man as well. While he pondered the right path to take, he was visited by an angel in his dreams. (Understand the magnitude of this event; it had been four hundred years since God spoke to men through anything other than His Word.) This angel assured him that what was happening was not born of wickedness, but rather of holiness. It was not a thing, of which to be ashamed, but a thing rather, which was going to be proclaimed. The angel instructed him to act without fear and take his espoused as his wife. Although the date counters would certainly count, and the town gossips would surely bear tales, Joseph arose from his sleep and took Mary to be his wife. For all that Jesus would do with His life and His preordained death; it began with trusting a man and a woman to do that which was right. Just as God had done in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, once again, He trusted a man and a woman to carry the change to the world. This Christmas, as you face the holiday chosen to celebrate the birth of the world’s redeemer, consider that God has placed the change the world needs into your hands. Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” “In everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you; for this is the law and the prophets” Jesus, Matthew7.12 “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary” Hillel, Talmud, Shabbat 31a “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself” The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith “Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.” Baha’u’llah Gleanings “This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.” Mahabharata 5:1517 “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Udana-Varga 5.18 “One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct … loving kindness. Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself.” Confucius Analects 15.23 “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” T’ai Shang Kan P’ien 213-218 Merry Christmas .. Be the difference !
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 20:29:08 +0000
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