September 25th is the United Nations International Day of Peace. In support of a Day of Peace the Fort Wayne community held a Unity Walk. Several weeks ago I was asked to participate in the walk as the Christian representative. I invited Nathan Baker, a Taylor University student, to participate in the event with me. As a follower of Jesus I thought my words at the Unity Walk should reflect Jesus' teachings. Here are the scriptures that we read and my prayer for the Unity Walk.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-17 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Dear God, You are our creator and the creator of all. We acknowledge our dependence upon you. You have demonstrated your love for each of us through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection . As Jesus taught us, we are to love you with our heart, soul, strength and mind. With all of our being we are to love you. We are also to love each other. One way we demonstrate our love for each other is by such events as this Unity Walk. We are different in our theologies but we are united in this community, for this is our community, and we are to love one another. We desire to live in a reconciled community and would ask for You to examine each of our hearts as we strive for peace. As Jesus taught, blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. We pray that as we come together as a united community that we would reflect Your love that you have shown for each of us by making peace with each other and by helping those who are suffering and who are in need in this community. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen
