Listening to our news, I have been filled with sorrow and concern: so much name calling, badgering, and bullying; too much violence, anger, and hatred. As a follower of Jesus, what am I called to do? Jesus answers that question over and over: I am to love God and to love others. That is so simple yet so profound.

   In John 4, we find Jesus showing us the way to live and the impact such living can have on others (John 4:1-41). He reached out to the Samaritan woman at the well, and in so doing changed her life and the lives of many in that Samaritan village. Jesus’ culture taught that Samaritans were to be despised and loathed and that women were to be seen as second class. But Jesus showed that God’s way is to love and cherish those whom others consider unclean, unworthy, or even worthless. As Howard Thurman, a great Christian Theologian from the 20th Century, wrote: “Jesus rejected hatred because he saw that hatred meant death to the mind, death to the spirit, and death to communion with his Father. He [Jesus] affirmed life, and hatred was the great denial.”

   In our culture, too often we are not affirming the holy and precious gift of life that God has given to the world. As followers of Christ, we are to look for and be concerned about those who are looked down upon, despised, and bullied. Instead of tearing people apart, we are to reach out with the gift of God’s love and respect. Are we choosing to reach out, and are we working at doing just that? It was exciting to recently see the Olympics as athletes from all over the world gathered in peace. Yes, they were striving to win—but also we watched as many grew in their respect and understanding of one another.

   Much closer to home, we in our area are privileged to host Little Leaguers from around the world. As we watch these young people, I am most touched by the camaraderie these Little Leaguers share with each other. It seems to me that our Little Leaguers often do better at loving and accepting one another than those of us who claim to follow Jesus.

   A powerful and loving Christian friend shared these words with me. They are not directly his words, but they should be words that help direct the path of all who follow Jesus. The task of the Church is to live out Jesus’ teachings: “Enemies? Love them. Violence? Renounce it. Money? Share it. Foreigners? Welcome them. Sinners? Forgive them.”

   These are challenging norms by which to live. But if we choose to put Jesus Christ first in our lives, Christ will give us the strength and wisdom to “Follow In His Footsteps.”

   The stories of the Samaritan woman, the Good Samaritan, the woman caught in adultery, the repentance of Zacchaeus, and the healing of the Roman Official’s son all reflect the above principles of Jesus. These are to be our principles as well.

   “‘Love one another as I have loved you,’” Jesus said (John 15:12b ESV). Let us be about doing just that!