Once upon a time there were two towns. They were very close to one another and shared many things in common. Members of the same family lived in both towns.
There was food and craft specialties which one town happily shared with the other. Together they often entered friendly competitions against larger towns from other regions, and won. There was unity between the two. There was goodness. Peace. Joy. And love.

Then one day a terrible thing happened and some from one town accused some from the other town of being the ones responsible for the bad thing that happened. Soon more people from each town began to speak mean and hateful things to the other.
The two towns quit sharing. They quit working together. There was suspicion now.
And division. Discord. Fear. And hate.

A big wall was finally built to permanently divide the two towns.

The hostility continued to fester to the point where the people of the first town began throwing nasty things over the wall into the midst of the other town. They threw things like their trash and rotten food and broken glass. They wanted to hurt the others.

Meanwhile, just as the second town began to prepare to throw even more garbage and nastier things back over the wall to the other side, a wise voice shouted, “Stop!”
The wise person among them went on to ask, “are we no better than that?”
What we throw over the wall, we become.

Instead of throwing over even nastier garbage, and more rotten food, and not just glass but sharp metal and other hurtful objects too, they were asked, “what if we did something different?”

What if, instead of nastiness, we threw over beauty? What if we threw over fresh, delicious fruit they might enjoy? What if we threw over our most beautiful flowers, and perhaps even some of our loveliest jewels?

The people grumbled among themselves for a while but then became intrigued with taking the first step towards eventual healing and reconciliation. They started with a few flowers. No response. Then they tossed over some large, firm, fresh ripe strawberries. Still no response. So then the wealthiest among them rounded up their favorite jewels and tossed sparkling emeralds, rubies and lovely stones of all colors over the wall. Still no response.

Some time passed. Then one day, the most beautiful flowers anyone had ever seen came sailing over their wall. Next was the freshest and tastiest fruit. And then more beautiful jewelry than they even knew existed.

The doors opened up within the wall and the people walked into the arms of one another from both sides. They spoke with and listened to each other. They apologized. They sought forgiveness. They wept with regret over the harshness of the past and the hardness of their hearts. They became united once again. They were as one, yet again. And the wall came down, never to be rebuilt again. They resolved that no division would ever come between them again. Their land was finally healed.

I heard this story several years ago and have never forgotten it. As I hear people cry out for God to heal our land, I think of this story. As I read the FB posts, and hear the conversations from many different voices and many different points of view, I think of this story.

When are we going to quit hurling more trash over the wall to the other side, and try sending a few flowers, instead?

And as I hear the cry for healing for our land, I think of 2 Chronicles 7:14.
In it, God says, “If MY people who are called by MY name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from THEIR wicked ways,” then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Four things. Not other people. Not “the other side.” But us. God’s people. People who call themselves Christians, or followers of Christ.

God says don’t even think about, let alone speak it or post, others’ “wicked ways,”
but look at your own heart! With our thoughts and our words and our posts, are we building unity? Or adding to division?

When this Scripture was written, Solomon had just finished the temple of the Lord. Earlier, (chapter 6) he had asked the Lord to make provisions for the people when they sinned. Today our provision is Jesus Christ. Through belief in Him we find forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.

But God’s answer to Solomon still applies today as well. God’s four conditions for forgiveness from 2 Chronicles 7:14 are:
1) Humble yourself by admitting your sins. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you if you can’t figure them out yourself. Basically sin is whatever has separated you from God or other people. And there is nothing that is so bad that God can’t forgive it.. You’ll feel so much freer once you’ve confessed and gotten rid of and been forgiven for sin.
2) Pray to God asking for forgiveness. Tell Him about it. Get it off your shoulders.
3) Seek God continually. Abide in Him, Jesus told us to do this in John 15! Make God your dwelling place! Set up a figurative tent in your living room, or your back porch when it’s cooler, or your front yard, and meet with Him on a regular basis there. Get so used to His Presence that you can’t wait to get back into it and you’re reluctant to leave it. Let His Presence be the sanctuary you run to, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed, or anxious, or fearful. In Ezekiel 37:26, 27 God is giving encouragement and a future promise and He says, “I will put my sanctuary among them forever…” and “My dwelling place will be with them…” Have you ever meditated on the fact that Jesus is our “sanctuary?” And the very Presence of God through His Holy Spirit dwelling within us is a promise of God come true. There are additional implications from this, but for now I just want you to know that God has called us “for such a time as this,” to yes, bring healing to this land. And it starts with us! You need to also know that “to those God calls, He equips!”

4) The fourth component in this verse from 2 Chronicles is turning from our own sinful
behavior. Or “wicked ways.” And don’t think you don’t have some.
As we are in Christ and slowly becoming more like Him, we’re a lot better than we
used to be, but we’re still not there yet! Just ask those who know you best!
Examine yourselves!

Humble yourself.
And give yourself a little test: With each person you see for the rest of the day, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, as yourself honestly if you think of yourself as “better than others?” If/when you find the answer to be “yes,” ask God to forgive you and try looking at them with a different lens. The lens of humility.

Paul expected it of the early church and God expects it of us.
[READ IT FROM THE BIBLE]
Philippians 2:1-3 says “Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves…”
Think of others as better than yourself.

There’s that humility thing again, too.
Lord have mercy on our arrogance! Especially when we don’t even see it!

Two weeks ago we looked closely at Micah 6:8. Do you remember what it says?
“He has shown you, oh man, (or, people), what is good. And what does the Lord require of you,” (notice it doesn’t say “suggest,” but REQUIRE) but to ACT JUSTLY,
LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.”

So what are some ways we can demonstrate humility in our lives?
We’ve already heard a few suggestions. Actually begin to practice looking at people and thinking of them as more valuable than yourself!

Now if you already struggle with low self-esteem, this won’t be a problem for you. But I’d also like to invite you to quit putting yourself down. Raise yourself up as God has created you and He doesn’t make any junk! Also, Jesus is the ultimate King. And if you belong to Him, you’re royalty. So stand tall. (Lift chin, shoulders back, stomach in…) Because of whose you are you are of great worth, but try not to think of yourself as better than others.
Actually, it is usually those with the most insecurities and who are the most arrogant.
Let’s get rid of the insecurities along with the arrogance. And being offended, easily, while we’re at it.

In her latest book, “Chasing Vines,” renowned author and speaker Beth Moore says nothing about our existence is accidental! We were planned, and planted, for this moment in time!
Acts 17:26 says “From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history…”

At the end of Acts 17, Paul is in Athens, Greece. He’s in the “Areopagus,” explaining “the One True God” to people who were religious, but did not yet know God.

In our society today, God is still unknown.
What if the people of God were to rise up during these scary and uncertain times and show such love, such hope, such humility to such an extent that it would bring healing to our land and draw people to Christ?!

There are FB posts of acts of love bringing unity throughout our land as people wash the feet of each other and take food and water to groups earlier thought of as “enemies.” What if we overcame hatred with love? What if we defeated the devil and his currently effective ploy of division?

In Revelation 12 the devil is called “the accuser of our brothers and sisters.”
People! Who do you think is accusing one side to the other? Who do you think stands to benefit most from more division in this country?

As Will Ford III says, it is a diabolical plot of the enemy to categorize and stereotype each other. Let’s become aware of it and put a stop to it!

Remember the verse that says “a house divided against itself cannot stand?”
(Matthew 12:25)
Let’s not give division one more ounce of energy, and instead, start trying to find ways to build unity! Take time to smile and say hello and ask someone of another race, or political party, or a non-mask wearer if you’re a mask wearer, how they’re doing?

God believes that we can do this! We can overcome division and grow unity!
And by the way, did you notice you can’t have “community” without “unity?”
(Thank you Sharon Moore)

People of God who were created for this very moment in time, be courageous!
Stand up for unity. Don’t let the devil have his way one second more with the division he’s delighted to have created. Look at all the division in our country right now!
Please don’t contribute another thought towards it!

There’s racial division, economic division, societal division, mask-wearers versus non-mask-wearers division, old vs young, and then of course Republican vs Democrats division. Why don’t you join me in praying for an epiphany for President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to decide to reconcile and become good friends and overcome all the damage and hostility and so much more that has occurred! Would’n that be a miracle?! Can you imagine how powerful it would be if they worked together instead of in opposition to one another?! Quit calling her the devil and saying you hate him. (Yes, both sides say things that true followers of Christ do not say. You can’t have the Spirit of God dwelling within you and think and speak like that.)

In Ezekiel 35, Edom is told they will reap the consequences of “ancient hostilities” towards God’s people. The Lord also says He has heard “all the contemptible things” said against Israel.

Let’s not be people who hold on to any “ancient hostilities.”
This is a time to revisit the narratives we’ve been taught or told ourselves.
Prejudice isn’t born. It’s taught.
What if the sky isn’t falling, Chicken Little, or Chicken Licken, but is instead being reshaped to be more like it’s Creator?

A wise friend of mine said she used to ask people when hiring an employee how they felt about change. If they said they hated change, or something along those lines, she knew they would not get the job.

Because in her line of work, there was constant change.
In our lives right now, there’s a lot of change. Instead of fighting it and bucking it and commiserating over what used to be “the good ole days,” (and were they? Really?) how about adopting a teachable spirit?

How about choosing to believe that “change is growth?” Instead of being the mouse at the beginning of the book entitled “Who moved my cheese?!”

Your cheese might actually end up in a better place.

The Kingdom of God is made up of all the faces of the world. If we don’t have friends who look different from us it’s past time to make friendships with others. You might be surprised to find we’re all the same underneath it all.

If we’re walking around all fearful and defensive and uptight, we are not walking in humility. When we walk in humility we walk in peace.
Think about it. People who are kind and loving and humble have an air of grace around them. Yes, God’s grace.
They are pleasant to be around.

People who are the opposite of that, however, are not someone you want to be around.
“Perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18)
My wise adult son said right now we’re living in “a culture of fear.” He’s right.
People are afraid of a lot of things. They’re afraid of people who look different from them who they’ve never bothered to get to know. They’re afraid of law enforcement losing control and they’re even afraid we are going to lose our country.
Lose our country? To what? To whom? Other people who live in and love their country too? Well, you might say, they don’t ... who are we to ever say what another person thinks? Only God can judge. Not us.
As people of God, we are not to judge others and we are not to be afraid!

People of God quit being afraid! Quit becoming more entrenched in your own personal narrative instead of asking God, just what might You be up to? Lord, what do I need to learn? How do I need to change?

Will Ford III is the Director of Marketplace Leadership at Christ for the Nations.
He says the body of Christ is rising up during the storm!

Instead of being Chicken Little running around alarming everyone around and declaring “the sky is falling… the sky is falling…” the moral to the story is not to be a “chicken little,” but instead, to have courage. Do not say we’re going to lose our country and you hate the opposing political party and they are the devil. God’s people do not speak like that. Where is your trust that God is Sovereign? He’s the One who’s ultimately in charge and He knows what’s going on. And here’s an even more astounding thought, He knew it would be like this right here, right now, for you and for me and He chose us to be born and to live “for such a time as this!” He wants us to be bridge builders and agents of reconciliation.

People of God this is the time to have courage! To speak life, not death.
To speak unity, not division.

“The Lord is causing the church to come alive in the midst of the storm!”

Instead of giving in to the lies from our mutual enemy, the devil, to hate others, try seeking God more. Do you pray as much as you post on FB? Are you reading God’s word for every fearful thought with which you’re struggling?

I’ve heard the various theories out there about conspiracy and political motivations behind everything. What happened to keeping our eyes on Christ and listening only to His voice. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
This comes from Joshua 24:15. This is also the same man who God told to “Be strong and courageous.” And “Do not be afraid.” And “do not be discouraged.” And, don’t miss this, this was also the same man who spent a lot of time in the Presence of God!

Will you please challenge yourself and any other believers you know demonstrating fear or discouragement to, instead, demonstrate God’s strength; courage, no fear, and encouragement! Let us be the people of God who usher in His healing for this land!

And, finally, 2 Chronicles 4:16-17 tells us not to lose heart!
And Hebrews 10:23 says,
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for He who promised is faithful.”

Let us pray...