May Thoughts:

May Thoughts:
God is love.  God loves his creation.  God loves you and me.  God loves Jesus.  Jesus loves God.  Jesus loves his disciples.  Jesus’ disciples love Jesus and therefore God.  The Great Commandment is to love God and to love our neighbor as our self.  Jesus’ command to his disciples is to love each other as Jesus has loved them.
Can it really be that simple?  We are to love those we are with. 
Can you imagine what it would be like if we cared for and were kind to those we are with at home and at work, at church and at school, in the grocery store and at the gas pump; if we showed respect and consideration for all people we encounter?   A simple cheerful good morning with a smile can be a welcome positive moment in someone’s day.  We may never know how much it means to someone. 
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  We are praying that the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, will be available to us today.  If we are serious about this prayer request, what are we praying for?  What would our community of Albion look like if it was a part of the Kingdom of God?  God knows that the Kingdom of Heaven is not fully here, but Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven is near, if not yet.  Although we do not earn our salvation by our actions, Jesus did that on the cross, I believe our actions are important.  I believe that we must live our lives as if we believe that this is the Kingdom of God and that we are continuing the ministry of Jesus when we work to correct the wrongs we see in our society.  To do this we must engage with our community, recognize when something is not right, affirm those who are being wronged and act to correct it.  For me this is why we are working with the Albion Community Garden, we are working to build the Kingdom of God.  We have recognized a need for fresh fruits and vegetables, the prevalence of abandoned property and a need to build relationships across neighborhoods.  We affirm the value of all people and the sanctity of the earth and we act to bring abandoned lots to new life with fresh food and welcome the people of Albion to join us in the garden.