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Pastor's Corner with Dr. Melvin O. Marriner

Pastor’s Corner: What The World Needs Now Is – Love!

By Elder Gerald DeForest Tyler

What has love got to do with it you might ask, and the answer is – EVERYTHING! Where has all the love gone? Will somebody please tell me where is the love? And where is the peace? I know where the hate and racism is. It’s all over our national landscape, and sadly and regrettably it’s beginning to manifest itself once again to some extent as it did during the periods of slavery, Jim Crowism, and segregation. There’s an old expression that says we take one step forward and two steps backwards. And I can tell you that’s not a good formula nor practice for making progress here in America nor globally for that matter. “What The World Needs Now Is – Love!”

While I join the ranks of the many people who declare that we’ve made some progress and had a measure of success in numerous ways here in America, we have not yet arrived at the place where God wants us to be as a multi-culturally diverse nation. We’re not as yet ONE! That is, not one loving nation under God. During the past several decades, or perhaps half century, accomplishments and enhancements have been made with regard to culture, ethnicity, diversification, and human relations in general. However, we still experience these unnecessary racial setbacks in various geographical pockets across the country such as in Ferguson (MO), Staten Island (NY), Baltimore (MD), Cleveland (OH), Washington, D.C., Charleston (SC), Hampton Roads Virginia and other states. 

There’s simply too much killing and taking of “innocent lives” across much of the American landscape. I don’t care who it is that’s doing the killing unless it’s godly-approved and justified. Read the following biblical passages of holy and righteous scripture for a better understanding of when and for what reason(s) a person should be put to death (Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:12, Leviticus 24:17, and Numbers 35:30-31 just to cite a few). 

Individuals shouldn’t be out killing and murdering other individuals merely because they don’t like the color of their skin, nor for any other reason unless it’s a legally legitimate and genuine act self-defense (1st Timothy 5:8 and Saint Luke 12:39-40). Citizens or civilians should not be out killing other people. God is the one giver and sustainer of human life and he’s the only one who decides under what circumstances and for what reason(s) a life should be taken. He has already established and ordained governments and government officials (i.e., the judicial system, judges, and law enforcement officers) to carryout his godly-established laws in accordance with his own righteous and holy will –  not man’s. And God does and will hold these authoritative officials accountable for their actions. We’re to simply pray for them (1st Timothy 2:1-3).                                             

Read Romans Chapter 13:1-10 for a better understanding of how we’re to obey the “higher powers” that are of and ordained by God. Government officials who govern and rule over us are ministers of God for our good and well-being. But wrongdoers who commit crimes and evil deeds are subject to God’s wrath and punishment as executed by his ministering revengers (government officials), for the Bible says, they beareth not the sword in vain (13:3-4). They serve as protectors and law-enforcers to help deter crime. Read also about our pertinent civil duties and responsibilities found in 1st Peter 2:13-17.   

If we as people, as nations even, were to obey God and do things his way, then we wouldn’t have all this racism, hatred, and killing in the land. If Eve and Adam had obeyed God from the beginning, our world wouldn’t be in the shape and mess that it’s in today. Doing things God’s way would serve as a major deterrent to these senseless and heinous killings and other crimes that permeate our society, but as long as convicted guilty murderers continue to only get their hands spanked by our American judicial system as it were, don’t expect any significant change in their horrible behavior. And as sad as it is to say this, it’s quite likely that there’ll be other “cold-blooded” murderers like Dylann Roof in Charleston, South Carolina with lots of hatred and racism in their hearts. 

“What The World Needs Now Is – Love!” And God is love (1st John 4:7-11). If we humble ourselves before Almighty God, turn from our sinful ways, become lovers of one another rather than haters, pray and seek God’s face, he will then hear us and forgive our sin and heal our land. Now that’s God’s promise to his people! We have the sin of disobedience in our lives and our land is sick and in need of healing (2nd Chronicles 7:14). “Grace and mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied!”

Gerald D. Tyler, an ordained elder with senior pastoral experience, has been a God-called practicing minister since 1977 teaching and preaching the salvation gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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