Prayers for Buffalo

I’m sure you’ve heard on the news that Buffalo, New York was the latest victim of the wave of senseless, mass killings that continue to plague this country. Even though it happened about 25 minutes from where I live, and in a part of town that I rarely go to, I am still very shaken by this. Good people in my city lost their lives, or had them negatively changed forever.

In addition, I am very angry at this. I know this space is reserved for positive thoughts, and I do have some encouragement. In a lot of ways I don’t know what to think, nor what to do. It is in situations like that, where I resort to the only thing I know what to do, and that is to pray.

This may upset some people, but I must say that I am rather sick of life in the good ol’ D.S.A (Divided States of America) these days. People hate each other, mass shootings are daily news stories, the land of the free has more restrictions than I can count, and common people can’t even afford to live anymore. I can do my part, and so can you. However, we can only do so much. We need God’s intervention. Now!

God does respond to prayer. I know some of you are wondering where He was when this was happening. I wish I had an answer for why He allows these things to happen, but I don’t. I just know that when I leave things to Him, He comes through. Always.

This situation is happening all over this country. It was the first time people in my city have had to cope with this. If things don’t change, it won’t be the last. I ask you to join me in prayer for Buffalo, and for the protection of every other city in the States. We need the madness in our country to end sooner than later. I believe prayer is powerful, and we can use it as one of the ways to unite and change the country and the world for the better. Thank you 🙂

Can We Be Individuals Together?

Last I checked, there were about 7 billion people on this earth. Many individuals, wouldn’t you say? So there you have it. I’ve answered the question of my title already, and it’s obviously a virtual impossibility that 7 billion individuals can all be together, right?

Before you accept the conclusion and stop reading, allow me to place some other thoughts in your mind. I was reading some interesting info the other day, and a very ironic thought was presented to me. When you look up the origin of the word individual, it actually means…. indivisible!! So what does this mean? I believe it actually means that the 7 billion individuals on this earth now are indivisible. We are all one energy, and one spirit. Don’t believe me? Let’s go to the ultimate resource in my opinion, the Bible. There are several verses about this, but one that stands out is I Corinthians 12:12-13, which says “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by^[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Another version says… Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. Another verse that shares this is Ephesians 4:4, which says there is “one body and one spirit.”

I am learning more each day that all of the individuals on this planet are actually all one energy and spirit. We all live, move, and have our being in that spirit, the spirit of God. Imagine how much more wonderful this ride of life would be if we realized that. This is why it is so important to love others as ourselves. Because when you love others, in essence you are loving yourself too! When you give to others, the blessings multiply in your own life as well because you are blessing yourself, the same spirit that lives in all, when you give to another “individual”.

I challenge you today to know that you are part of the wonderful, peaceful, loving spirit of God. And so is everyone else. Instead of competing with other individuals, strengthen the bond that we all are instead. It will make a beautiful difference. Enjoy the blessings 🙂