God the Savior, before and after exile

“You are my witnesses,” says the Lord.

What exactly does that mean for us? What have we witnessed, and what are we called to do with this information? When we witness something significant, it is typical for us to share that information. As witnesses our role is to make sure that we share what we have witnessed with others.

God has called us to love our neighbor, and to use our freedom to serve one another with love. He doesn’t tell us to judge or condemn others, to find fault or to force our will onto those around us. In fact, we are to look first for the log in our own eye before we point out the splinter in the eye of a friend.

In a time where there seems to be constant friction between people who have different views on politics, moral issues, and nearly every other matter, it is easy to lose focus; to forget what we have been called as witnesses for. It is easier in many cases to judge our neighbor than to love them.

What would happen if, when faced with a decision, instead of immediately thinking “What is best for me?” we considered “How might this impact other people?” And as we think about the impact on other people, we accepted that with our diverse backgrounds, wildly different circumstances, and varied personal experiences what is best for us might bring great harm to others.

For years there was a slogan (“I Am Third”) that was a reminder that God is first, other people second, and we are third. Recently, I saw a professional athlete saying, “I Am Second.” When I asked someone about that, they assured me that the current phrase is indeed, “I Am Second.” I spent a lot of time thinking about this. While I am completely on board with each of us making proper self-care a priority, I can’t help but think when we put ourselves above everyone else, we become the problem.

God has called us to be witnesses, and in doing so to help others experience God’s calling to love our neighbor and to serve each other with love.

I don’t know everything about you, but I know that God has called me to love you and to use my freedom to serve you. Until I actively focus on seeing things from your perspective, on wanting what is best for the greater good, and realizing that just because our views differ doesn’t make yours wrong, I am failing to answer God’s call. There is no doubt that I don’t always get it right–in fact, more often than not, I fall short. But I certainly hope that at the end of my life, people will think of me as a solid three-–someone who put God first, others second, and myself third.