Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v04n13)
Life's Ripples from Broad Ripple United Methodist Church by Rev. Timothy Rasmussen
posted: Jun. 29, 2007
"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary..." so begins one of the great documents in history which still stands true today. The Declaration of Independence is a vital source of our modern laws, yet we still have such a long way to go before coming close to achieving what it challenges us to do. Too many people in this great land still do not have the equality put forth in this document.
There is still a great need for unity, even in our churches. Maybe it's time to declare our intention to bring change to the world. Oops, that declaration was started with a man named Jesus a couple thousand years ago, but, even so, we still haven't gotten it right. John 13:34-35 tells us to "love one another," but, in our day-to-day lives, we're busier looking to see what we can get out of people and situations rather than what we can give to them.
If we truly lived as Jesus did then the document of 1776 would naturally hold true and all people would be loved and cherished equally. It's not easy living a life based from the heart, but, as we take steps in that direction, incredible changes come into our lives. Take a risk, try it out and see what happens.
Tim has been a United Methodist Pastor since 1973 and has been at Broad Ripple United Methodist since 2003. Email your questions/comments to
tim@BroadRippleGazette.com
tim@broadripplegazette.com