FROM THE PASTOR
August 13, 2017
Connie and I watched the show “The Last Alaskans” Thursday evening. The story line follows the final 7 families allowed to live in the remote Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in upper northeast Alaska. This episode focused on Edna Korth’s anniversary and birthday. Edna grew up in an Eskimo whaling village on St Lawrence Island, as her husband Heimo described it, “closer to Russia than the United States”. To Edna’s surprise her daughter and grandson made known to them that they would arrive by bush plane the next morning. Edna began to cry and announced that that was the best present she could have. She had commented earlier in the show that she missed her grandkids.
As I watched her reaction my first thought was, “Wow, how easy it is to forget that regardless of where we’re from, or what our upbringing is, or where we now call home, we all laugh, cry, need to give and receive love, and in some fashion or form… we all long for our loved ones.” I’m not sure why that hit me like that because it’s so obvious. It’s just another layer of proof that we are created by a God who is LOVE. Still, in a world where culture and society has separated us from one another, we need to be reminded that deep within… God has universally given us these emotions to draw us closer to Him… to understand Him… to be like Him. Because, in His image, we all were created.
Genesis 1:26-27 (NASB)
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..."
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
It’s so easy to get frustrated with those around us. Someone is moving too slow or fast, sitting at the light too long, is too loud or quiet, is too introverted or extraverted, wears different cloths, eats a different food, talks too much or little, drives too fast or slow, is a republican or democrat, is a different skin color, speaks a different language, lives in a stick house or grass hut, agrees or disagrees with us, drives a Ford or Chevy, is a citizen or non-citizen. You can add from your own list. I know you have one.
Bottom line is this… It’s so easy to get caught up in the moment and forget… Every single one of us is created in the image of God who is LOVE. LOVE that is available to any one of us different and unique people who will open our hands (hearts) and allow Him to place that free gift of salvation in them. May we never be the different and unique person who drives a wedge between another different and unique person and the only eternal LOVE they could ever really know.
Thank You for your faithfulness! Pastor Larry
