This is the opening song on my favorite album, (yes, I said album), “Songs in the Key of Life”. Stevie Wonder released this album in 1976. His lyrics said then what is needed now, we must renew what it means to love. The love of self, party lines, distorted principle, money, one culture, or race over another… any love that separates instead of unites, will destroy us morally. In verse two and the chorus, he pens a wake-up call to make changes before it’s too late.
“The force of evil plans to make you its possession, and it will, if we let it, destroy everybody. We all must take precautionary measures, if love and peace you treasure, then hear me when I say oh that…
(chorus) Love’s in need of love today. Don’t delay, send yours in right away. Hate’s goin’ round breaking many hearts. Stop it please before it’s gone too far.
This election season has been the most divisive period, that I can remember, in my 61 years of life. Innuendo, half-truths, and full-fledge lies are commonplace. Social media is used to manipulate people into believing things that are wrong. The offending person’s actions don’t match their words; they tell blatant lies, denies what they said, uses thing of personal value in their attack, and will wear an unsuspecting person down. Unfortunately, the targeted person or group starts to question the truth, memory, common sense, perception, judgment, and sanity. The continuous rhetoric becomes reality, it is called gaslighting. It is a tactic used by abusers, dictators, narcissists, the power-hungry, and antisocial personality, and cult leaders. Anyone is susceptible to it. Their evil plan is to make other people their possession, their followers. But LOVE can stop it. The love for humankind that we see when people dedicate their lives to helping others for the common good. People like essential works, teachers, public service personnel, volunteers… this is the highest form of love. In my faith tradition, we call it Agape Love.
If you feel like our country needs love TODAY, join us. We are not perfect, and we know it. We want to come together to share the agape love that works toward united, equitable states. We meet virtually for worship on Sunday mornings at 10am, Bible Study on Wednesdays, and Check-in to chat on Thursdays. The information can be found on our webpage www.eumcbeltsville.com or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/EUMCBeltsville/ . Until next time:
Look into your heart
Overcome divisiveness, it’s destructive
Value the things we have in common
Eventually, we will really be One Nation