blog-maryBlog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Personalities – 24 June 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

After writing yesterday’s Blog, I started to think about the unique personalities of God’s creatures, both human and non-human.

In reading the Bible, we become aware of the differences in the personalities of various characters. There are no “cookie-cutter” similarities in the people of the scriptures, just as there are none in the humans and non-humans populating the earth today. We are often reminded that no two snowflakes are alike; well, if you stop to think about it, the same principle applies to humans and other animals.

To me, the Apostle Paul (mentioned in yesterday’s Blog) seems to be a bit abrasive in his tone. Having said that, I admit that it’s easy for me, in the 21st century, to criticize one who was up against so much opposition in the early days of Christianity. It is easy to pick apart another’s “style.” On the other hand, Solomon seems to have been led astray by all his wives and concubines, a problem that Paul avoided through his celibacy.

Christ gives us the insight to work around, and to see beyond, personality and behavioral differences. We can begin to focus so that we see people the way God wants them to be – not necessarily as they are today – which is the only way that we can truly love God and our neighbors, including other animals. We can’t force people into the Kingdom of God. We need to love each other into the perfection of God’s love.

Go on to: Bill Moyers – 25 June 2006
Return to: Applying God’s Word – 23 June 2006
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