Status - November 2020

STATUS

November 2020 | Issue 02

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Table of Contents Page 3...An Editorial Note Page 4...Floorball Club Page 5...Psych-Ed. Club Page 6...Rough Writers Page 7...SNA (Nursing) Page 8...Writing Contest Winners Page 11...SWAU & COVID-19 Page 12...Why My Vote Matters Page 13...Biden Wins: What It Means

1st Place by Daisy Alamilla

Page 14..Veterans Day Tributes Page 15...Which One is Christmas?

Page 16...Devotional Thought

2nd Place by Eden Ward

3rd Place by Danylle Langley 2

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An Editorial Note

Seeking Answers I am lost in a sea of blue.

The world around me is dark and eerily quiet.

The only noise that interrupts this oppressive silence is the whoosh and click of my oxygen tank as I continue to breathe through my mask.

I glide through the waters with grace and ease, and search the depths of the ocean, For what? I don’t know.

Answers to questions I’ve never asked?

Peace away from the turbulence of the world above?

A place to belong?

Slowly, out of the darkness, a shadow appears.

I strain my eyes and point my light towards the approaching shadow.

Fear and excitement intermingle in my body as the shadow takes shape.

What is it, or rather, who is it?

Will it be a friend or a foe?

Finally, my light captures the creature, no creatures, in their full glory.

A mother blue whale with her young calf cautiously approach me.

Though big and graceful, they pose no threat.

Instead they gently guide me to the surface of the waters where we can all capture a fresh breath of clean, pure air.

The closer we get to the surface, the more sunlight filters in, Once again, my world is filled with light, life, and color.

Eels and octopus play a shy game of peek-a-boo behind coral reefs and rocks.

Shades of green, brown, and red seaweed gently sway with the currents of the waves.

Schools of brightly colored fish dart to and fro.

Birds swoop and dive to catch the juiciest morsels of food.

As I take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean surface, I’m reminded once again that it is better to dwell in the light than in the darkness.

When I was pondering life’s questions in the darkness, I found no answers.

It wasn’t until I sought the light and life above, that I found purpose and passion.

Psalms 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall, I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.”

God is my light and my life.

He shines brighter than the sun and He’ll always fill me with hope for a better future.

Aletia Thornton 3

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Floorball Club Club Highlights

Floorball is a type of indoor hockey that is fun, fast, and safe.

The game can be easily picked up by beginners, yet it holds great potential for development of stick and ball handling, passing and shooting skills. Floorball is ideal for coed and mixed-age groups due to the emphasis on speed, skill and technique over physical strength.

The purpose of the Floorball Club is not only to promote one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States and across the world, but also to encourage our campus to adopt a physically active lifestyle.

We practice and play on Sundays from 12:30-2 p.m. in the gym. We have both males and females participating including students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

- Vesa Naukkarinen

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Psych-Ed. Club Club Highlights

Hello, my name is Katerin Rodriguez, but everyone calls me Kat! I am currently serving as the president of the Psychology-Education or the Psych-Ed club.

I would say who we are as a club is a group of enthusiastic leaders, excited about creating communities with future educators, counselors, psychologists, and others! Essentially, what our club does is conduct projects we feel passionate about, and host fun events for department and club members to be a part of.

We typically meet in room 247 in Pechero also known as the Reading Lab on Wednesday evenings. The purpose of this club is to positively impact the community as well as create a community on campus of excited club members, whether in our department or not!

-Katerin Rodriquez

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Rough Writers Club Highlights

Rough Writers is a club for students interested in the craft of creative writing. The purpose of our club is to provide students with a space to not only explore, but also build upon their capacity to write creatively. To students who are less experienced in the creative process, Rough Writers acts as a gateway to developing a new outlet for thought and creativity.

Members are encouraged to write their own scripts, short stories, poetry, or spoken word using any genre or theme. The material shared by our members gets broken down and discussed to help them improve their abilities as writers and generate creative genius. In the case that there is no material to discuss during a meeting, our members engage in various fun writing activities meant to challenge their creative flexibility.

If you’re interested in joining Rough Writers, drop by the classroom in the main floor of the library (where Write Spot usually meets). We meet every Thursday from 5–6 p.m.

- Darren J. Joseph

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SNA (Nursing) Club Highlights

Nursing school is difficult. It can take an “A” student and turn them into a “C” student. It frustrates you. You come home from a clinical completely exhausted, but since your test is the following day, you drink loads of caffeine in order to stay awake long enough to study. During this stressful time, you may be asking yourself, “Why did I choose nursing?” But don’t despair: SNA is here to offer you support during the emotional rollercoaster ride of nursing school.

SNA offers diverse opportunities to assist you through your university journey, from experienced RN speakers and hands-on learning assistance, to stress-relieving activities such as vespers, movie nights, cookies and ice cream. We strive to build a supportive community where we can worship together, work together, and play together. SNA is here to help you not only succeed, but thrive.

A new initiative this year will allow you to graduate with SNA honors! Through participation in the community, SNA events, and various worship events, you can proudly show your work as you walk!

So, nursing or not, feel free to come join us. You can follow us on Instagram @swau_sna or feel free to contact us via webmail at langley.d@swau.edu if you have any questions!

—Your SNA team

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Writing Contest Winners Consciousness We sin in our everyday life.

It is difficult not to, we do it without repentance.

It is a tragedy, to know how ungrateful we are!

So many blessings, love and giving are God’s commandment.

The fact that I am writing.

The fact that you are reading.

The fact today the sun is shining.

What amazing blessings we receive!

If only we understood what He wanted to give!

Lord, oh lord hear me cry out your name!

For my soul dwells for your precious day to come.

I feel joy, I feel sadness.

I am selfish, I wish to share love with others but my wretched soul wants to be served by others.

How can I compact your word?

Great and without limit is God’s wisdom.

How will I understand? I wish to understand.

Then again if I knew it all, there would be nothing interesting in this life.

1st Place Winner by Jairo Diaz

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Writing Contest Winners How Is It? How is it the world can long for something with such passion, yet know nothing about it and treat it like a ration?

How is it after all He has done, We reject His free gift or make fun?

How is it that He can be mindful of us, When the one thing we do best is make a fuss?

How is it an immortal Being could give up His Son, To save a race that won’t accept Him for selfish reason?

How is it that we could live forever on the streets of gold, After we killed the one He sent and left His body to mold?

How is it? How? The answer lies above.

The reason God still pursues us is love.

This isn’t a kind of love that comes and goes.

This isn’t a love that leaves during the woes.

It’s unconditional and everlasting!

It’s there every morning and every evening.

His love for us is patient and kind, And nothing we do will change His mind.

So put away hatred and this worldly facade, And take the one true kind of Love that comes from God.

2nd Place Winner by Keith Barrow 9

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Writing Contest Winners The Knight In Shining Armor We all heard about the knight in shining armor.

The knight that’s supposed to be strong and courageous since it is their duty to rescue, protect, and save.

That one specifically chosen knight that is geared with armor that glistens as he rides off on his horse effortlessly into the sunset.

But what if the story got it all wrong..

What if the story wasn’t about a single knight, but an entire army of knights that were each called.

What if instead of a horse it took each knight to walk and crawl through various lands, trials, and adversities just to reach their destinations and complete their tasks having everyday feeling like a sunset, because they never had the experience to see the true beauty of a sunrise.

And just what if underneath all the armor that they bear was nothing but a helpless soul who is in need of rescuing and saving themselves...

The armor that each knight bears is not just any kind of resplendent sturdy piece of metal, but the full armor of God that is prepared to face ANY circumstance. The only thing that shines bright is the reflection of Christ as an example.

Their duty is not merely to rescue and love a single individual, but to go out in search of all those who are trapped in the castles that they’ve built and locked themselves away in.

The story... got it wrong...

Because though the story ends as “the end,” each knight has their own story... finding that their ends were only beginnings waiting to fill up the pages of their book.

3rd Place Winner by Stacy Rose

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SWAU & COVID-19

by Aletia Thornton

In the past week, I have reached out to the faculty and students here at SWAU in order to find out how the COVID-19 crisis

has impacted our campus this school year. Though responses have varied some, almost everyone I spoke with gave me some positive and some negative feedback regarding what the school has done and will do in response to the COVID-19 Concern. While nothing is certain due to the fact that we live in unprecedented times, I was able to compile the responses I received from our SWAU family in the following summary.

SWAU students feel that while there were precautionary measures that weren’t strictly enforced that should have been,

Southwestern was still fairly successful in preventing a campus-wide epidemic. However, the shortened semester with a compressed schedule wore them out; but the students had no chance to take a break and catch a breath, so they felt extremely stressed, tired, and frustrated. Many students shared with me that they feel a break in the middle of the semester is necessary for them to recharge and catch up on assignments and projects. While they understood the reasoning behind staying on campus versus returning home and possibly bringing back the virus from home, they still needed that time off even if it meant not being able to go home. Since their classes went straight through the semester without giving them much time to actually focus on the class work, the students felt like they were being overworked without the time they needed for themselves.

While students felt stressed with the fast pace of the semesters, the staff here at Southwestern have faced their

own obstacles. Professors, especially, have found the new classroom setting to be quite the challenge in terms of keeping track of attendance and providing students with team-building learning opportunities. Since many of the classes have been converted to hybrid classes where some of the students in the class are participating online verses in the real classroom, teachers find it difficult to identify which students need their help. Even the non-teaching staff have found it challenging to balance between doing their jobs and showing compassion and understanding to the students here who are facing some unprecedented difficulties in these troubling times.

Though many students have managed to stay relatively healthy, several students have lost close friends and/or family in the past year due to COVID-related situations. Though their jobs haven’t been easy, the staff also shared with me that the support from their peers as well as the resilience of the students has kept them going.

Overall, both the faculty and students have felt stressed out and frustrated with all the complications that COVID-19 brought

to their lives, but the continual perseverance of the school body has helped everyone to find encouragement and hope for the future.

SWAU staff, faculty, and students have shared that they look forward to the incoming spring semester. While they’re disappointed that there won’t be a Spring Break, they are happy that there will be shorter breaks throughout the semester that will offer both the students and staff a chance to breathe and recharge. They also feel like this year’s theme of Pursue has really pushed us forward as a University and as a community.

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Why My Vote Matters An Opinion

By Emily Weaver

On July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, our founding fathers ratified the Declaration of Independence, declaring the Thirteen Colonies free from British rule and taking the first step toward the creation of the United States of America. With this Declaration, the framers laid the groundwork for the “Great American Experiment.” Free from the constraints of an unbending and dictating monarchy, great figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison helped establish a system where “We the People of the United States” would have a say in who led and governed us. This system has become the very definition of the United States of America and is still incredibly relevant today.

Since its creation, the United States has always been politically charged, but it has grown even more so within the last 50 years. Now more than ever, voters of all ages are asking the question, “Does my vote really matter?” The simple and immediate answer is yes; however, everyone should know the reasons why.

The first, and perhaps most important reason, is because voting is the basis of our government. Our nation was created to be what Great Britain was not: a republic. Our founding fathers wanted to guarantee that the people would have a voice in the selection of their leaders, through a system modeled in the fashion of the Roman Republic and the idealism of Athens. However, this democratic experiment was designed to last into perpetuity, to be a “shining city upon a hill…” for other nations. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers, “It is impossible to read the history of the petty republics of Greece and Italy without feeling sensations of horror and disgust… I trust America will be the broad and solid foundation of other edifices, not less magnificent, which will be equally permanent monuments of their errors.” Through voting, American citizens are proving Hamilton right and demonstrating to the world that democracy can thrive.

The second reason voting matters is because a vote does influence an election. In each voting district, the typical ballot has candidates for the federal, state, and local levels, ranging from president and senator to county judge and school board member. Each vote cast for a candidate is counted and adds to their margin of victory.

For example, in the presidential election of 2000, when the votes for Al Gore and George Bush were nearly tied, Florida had to recount its ballots, and Bush won by a mere 537 votes. Now, 537 votes may seem like a lot, but compared to the 16 million citizens living in the state of Florida, it was a very close call for George Bush.

Because those 537 individuals chose to vote, they determined the 43rd president of the United States.

Finally, voting matters because it is a civic responsibility of every American citizen. When our nation was established and the process of elections was created, only land-owning white men were allowed to vote.

Andrew Jackson made a step forward in expanding suffrage in 1825, but only to other white males. Women struggled for their right to vote for a hundred more years, only earning it in the early 1900s. African Americans and other racial minorities were not guaranteed their right until 1965. Voting is a responsibility because it was a hard-earned right. People like NCAAP leader Medgar Evers died to ensure that every citizen would have the right to vote. Today, when anyone exercises their right to vote, they are doing what many women and people of color could only dream about during their time.

In conclusion, everyone should exercise their right to vote, because each and every vote matters for the following three important reasons. First, by voting, individuals are continuing the great American experiment of democracy and proving to the world that it can continue on. Secondly, voting matters because every vote holds weight in any election at any level. And lastly, voting is a right still only recently achieved by many, and by voting, one is making the fight for suffrage worthwhile. That’s why your vote matters; my vote matters; and our vote matters.

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Biden Wins: What It Means An Opinion

By Steve Jones, PhD.

After four days of vote-counting drama, former vice president Joe Biden defeated incumbent president Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Biden will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2021.

The election also makes Senator Kamala Harris the vice president-elect. She will become the first woman, the first Black, and first South Asian-American to hold the office. Biden secured the win 279 electoral votes to Trump’s 214 out of a necessary 270. As of this writing, Biden has received 75,690,100 popular votes, Trump 71,282,389. Vote counting in Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alaska is ongoing. Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the high-profile police killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor doomed his reelection hopes.

When Floyd’s death ignited protests against police injustice across the United States, Trump threatened to send federal troops into cities like Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and Chicago to quell violence he blamed on the “far left” and ANTIFA. He could produce no evidence to prove his claims, while mayors of those cities confidently said right-wing agitators had started the violence.

Trump looked foolish on June 1, 2020, when he ordered peaceful protestors in Lafayette Square near the White House pepper-sprayed and dispersed so he could walk to a church and hold up a Bible in an awkward photo op. Part of the church had burned in a protest the day before, and Trump again cited left-wing protestors for the damage.

Trump has long sided with neo-Nazi white-supremacists. In 2017 he backed torch-bearing marchers in Charlottesville, Va., who had arrived to protest the removal of a Confederate statue. A counter-protester died when one of the original protestors ran his car through a crowd.

Biden said that was the moment he decided to enter the 2020 election.

But it was Trump’s COVID-19 response that seemingly capped his prospects. Even though intelligence and public health agencies had warned him of the dangers, Trump downplayed the virus in late winter 2020. Not until New York City began to suffer under the pandemic in March did Trump make any pandemic response. Even then, he played states against each other as they competed for ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Trump politicized the wearing of masks, which, along with social distancing, is one of the most effective ways to stay safe during the outbreak. Even when he contracted COVID-19 and spent three days in the hospital in October, he continued to flout CDC recommendations. He also continued to hold political rallies that attracted thousands of Trump supporters, usually wearing no masks and standing close together.

Biden won this election by positioning himself as the exact opposite of Trump. He showed voters that he is a man of empathy. Indeed, most voters know the grief he has experienced, losing a wife and child in a car wreck in 1972, and a son in the army in 2015. A Catholic, Biden is never afraid to express reliance in his faith, and he is devoted to his family.

While Trump tried to smear Biden with false claims of political corruption, people close to Biden know him as an honest, decent man.

Democrats, however, failed to win the US Senate. They retained the House of Representatives, although they lost some seats there. That means Biden will face a Mitch McConnell (R-KY) controlled Senate. McConnell thwarted many of Barack Obama’s plans between 2011 and 2016, and he has shown himself to be a devoted Trump lackey.

One hopes that, with 35 years’ experience in the Senate, Biden will be able to strike workable compromises with the upper house.

He will need to. Waiting for Biden on his first day will be the continued pandemic, a fragile economy, continued systemic racism, and an American reputation tarnished worldwide by Trumpism.

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Giving Back

Veterans’ Day Tributes

By Eden Ward

Before I met my fiancé, the veteran in my life was my grandfather, who always turned his army experiences into hilarious stories with pointed object lessons. He reintroduced his crewcut in his late 40s and has always maintained a military bearing, but I didn’t understand why his army time defined him so much. Every year on Veterans Day, he could get a free meal almost anywhere and I was a bit jealous.

I didn’t have a good grasp on why Veterans Day was a big deal. In my lifetime, the military has been a voluntary occupation. Sure, it’s highly demanding, but so are many other occupations. Of course, it helps the prosperity of our country, but so do many other occupations. I didn’t understand why veterans, who had never seen combat, would get the same treatment as those who had. However, my perception of the military shattered when I met my fiancé.

When I realized what the military takes from you, I become overwhelmingly glad that the community tries to give back.

When he gets a military discount, I think of the hundreds of dollars we both lost on flights when the military cancelled his days off without warning. When he gets free meals, I think of the horrible MREs that he had to eat in the field. I remember how much weight he lost when he got smoked again and again for someone else’s choices. I recall the ruck marches and strenuous labor that left him exhausted, with blistered feet and recurring knee pain. It all became very up close and personal, hearing about his day while he tried to stay awake on the phone.

Finally, when people quip the common, “Thank you for your service!”, I realize it means something. He mentioned to me once, one of the hardest things about the military is that you give up everything to do it. You give up family, friends, your home, your freedom, your choices, and much more. When it’s going badly, you can’t quit, like a normal occupation. You have to make it work. You have to make it through. Their “service” doesn’t refer to deployment and active combat. It refers to the years of their lives they give up, the health they give up, the choices they give up, and the love they give up to be our guardians. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but I’m glad someone does it, and now, more than ever, I’m glad we can do something to give back.

God Wins Battles

By SamathaLee Perez-Mitchell

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What do veterans and pastors have in common? They both serve on battlefields of the seen and the unseen.

We’ve witnessed the murder and fight for freedom in our country, but do we see the celestial fight for freedom in our hearts? Both realms--”flesh and blood” and “principalities and powers” (Ephesians 6:12)--merged on one battlefield as my grandfather, Micheal Mitchell, served in the military throughout his young adulthood.

My granddad (as I call him) was raised by Christian women who tried to pry his eyes open to the love of God. Despite attending a Christian academy, where he met his late wife, witnessing miracles of God’s provision, and not being “spared the rod,” he rejected his loved ones’ counsel. Micheal Mitchell was independent and a “hot mess,” as he would say. So he joined the military.

My granddad served in positions of our nation’s Air Force in medical and Special Forces. Before his deployment, maternal figures gave him a Bible, hoping it would soften his heart; and he started carrying that Bible in his front chest pocket. No matter where he went, or what he did, the Bible went with him. In his going out, he had the Bible; in his coming in, it remained stowed away, like a good luck charm he half-heartedly believed in--his hidden secret weapon.

One day, as Micheal Mitchell was on the field in combat, he sustained a shot to the heart.

Scared and adrenaline-filled, he unsnapped the button of his pocket, drawing out a warm, clean Bible which held the bullet. To his amazement, my granddad was saved by something he didn’t believe in. Furthermore, he saw that its Author cared for him with an unconditional, everlasting, and at the time, one-sided love. I wish I could tell you this was the end of my granddad’s battle, both physical and spiritual. But I would be lying.

This Air Force fighter continued in his life in the military. He was awarded the Purple Heart, raised his family while going through many struggles and making mistakes along the way, and he continued in his love for sin. At war with the flesh, he eventually surrendered his heart to his Savior, and started doing what God wanted for him and his family. God led him into the pastoral path, where granddad still resides.

Pastor Mitchell serves God on the spiritual battlefield as a testimony that the King of the Universe wins battles. The Almighty fights and brings individuals through the seen and the unseen, just like he brought Pastor Micheal Mitchell through. May this Veterans Day remind you of those who fought the good fight for the country and for God, and may you thank Him for bringing you through every battle.

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Which One is Christmas?

by Eden Ward

“Which one is Christmas?” I stared at my friend, not comprehending her question. Her amber eyes held no

amusement, only curiosity, and I started to realize her question was in earnest. It was her first year attending school outside of her home country of Iran and she was confused as to why the Lebanese university took a month off between semesters. Most universities in the Middle East run on a trimester schedule rather than semesters as we do in the U.S.

“They probably do it so the students can spend Christmas with their families,” I had ventured wistfully. She

looked even more confused. “Is that the one with the fat man who breaks into houses?”

I cracked up. Is this how people around the world view American Christmas? I remembered the many other

misconceptions I had uncovered during my first few months in Lebanon, but this one surprised me. Now came the real challenge, one I didn’t think I would face until motherhood… How do I explain Christmas?

I thought of the wonderful smells of Christmas. I thought of the warm, spicy smells of cinnamon apple pie and

gingerbread cookies coming out of the oven. I remembered the aroma of hot cocoa and coffee clutched in cold hands and blown on with steamy breaths. I recalled the smell of smoke in warmly lit fireplaces, often accompanied by the smell of hot soup on the stove. I remembered the earthy smell of the fruitcake I make with my grandmother every year, to which my father always turns up his nose. The smell of warm, salty pretzels reminded me of the many hours ice skating and Christmas shopping at the brightly lit malls.

I also remembered the sounds of Christmas: a cacophony of Christmas songs that started in late October. I

remembered the Salvation Army bell outside of WalMart, always accompanied by a rosy cheeked, smiling volunteer in a red apron. I thought of the crackle of the fire and wrapping paper at night, along with the panicked calls from family members, “Don’t come in, I’m wrapping presents!” I thought of the jingle bells on every door, the crunch of fallen leaves everywhere, and the cheery “Merry Christmas!” echoed on every street corner.

Most of all, I remembered the feelings of Christmas. I remembered the ecstatic feeling of finding the perfect

present for someone and the delicious anticipation in waiting for them to open the gift. I thought of the satisfaction of wrapping a present perfectly and hiding it somewhere in my room. I recalled the warm, fuzzy feelings I got watching It’s a Wonderful Life for the twentieth time, all wrapped up in a fuzzy Christmas blanket. I remembered the excitement of picking a Christmas treat to make for the neighbors and the happiness on their faces. I remembered the tranquil euphoria of driving down streets bedecked in dazzling Christmas lights. I recalled the thrill of leaping to my feet when the choir started into the Hallelujah Chorus.

I remembered all this in an instant, all the blazing, confusing, grandeur yet simplicity that was Christmas. I didn’t

know how to explain it. Christmas is a time to be with friends and family and to truly appreciate the gifts they are, gifts that God has given me, if only for now. It’s a time to turn up the gratitude and wonder for the beautiful things in life that we often take for granted. It’s time to remember what even some Christians forget at Christmas - that the greatest gift of all was Jesus. I didn’t know how to explain that to her. Thankfully, this year, I get to show her.

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Devotional Thought What’s Love Got to Do With It?

By Sherwin Callwood

“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?’”

Luke 10:27-29

What is love? Some songwriters say it’s “cool on the outside and hot in the middle,” a “second-hand emotion,” and

“oh baby, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me no more.” If you ask a stranger what is love, some would respond that it is a mysterious feeling; that you will know when you feel it. No matter the explanation or definition that we come up with, love’s true purpose will always be a mystery, because most refuse the practical principles of God’s love.

In John 1:5, John paints a picture of a world that made itself an enemy of God. This world did not want to move

in harmony with God, therefore, the world rejected Him, and anything connected to Him. However, John 3:16 reveals that God ‘loves’ this same world so much that He is willing to give everything to save it. By dying on the cross for a world that never wanted Him represents love’s core meaning, Jesus in Luke 6:35 taught that you should love your enemies and seek nothing in return.

This same principle of love is in John 3:16. God never ‘expected’ anything in return from the sacrifice of His Son.

Rather, God opened a door of opportunity for those who choose Jesus’ death and resurrection to have a chance at eternal life. Through this, we now know that love is defined as the constant giving of one’s self to another without demanding love in return, but rather allowing the other person to choose to love back.

Reading Luke as we understand what love is helps us see that we must give our heart, soul, strength, and mind to

God in our time alone with Him so that He can renew us. We must surrender our heart to God, the One that we want to become like. We must surrender our soul, what we want to say to others, at the Father’s discretion. Our strength, what we want to do with our lives, must be surrendered to God’s will. Lastly, we must surrender our minds, what we want to think about, to God. Only by loving God first will we know how to love our neighbor.

Jesus never ‘wanted’ to die on the cross. However, He still turned to the Father and proclaimed, “not my will, but

yours.” The greatest commandment doesn’t say “love your friend as yourself.” It says love your “neighbor.” Your neighbor also includes your enemies that are around and next to you. Nowhere in Scripture does God say He hates Satan. Therefore, if God can love an enemy enough to keep giving Satan life knowing the Devil will always hate Him, we as children of the Most High are also called to a higher purpose to love those who are considered undeserving. What does love have to do with it?

Everything!

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