The Spirit of Everyday Life (Day 2)

Today's post will once again include music, but it starts with a different sound. I woke up this morning to the sound of sirens outside my bedroom.  Not completely unusual, but 30 minutes later I heard them again going the other way.  And then as I left the house and drove to the church, I passed 3 more in different locations.  This at best was a little unnerving.  I have now been here long enough to realize that while I'm in "Charleston" that James Island is in some ways still a small town, That means even though it seems none of those ambulances were treating anyone directly related to the Church that chances are someone here or someone I know here was affected by them.  This is one of those things that just makes you a little uncomfortable, but also makes you pray for those unseen, unknown people who are part of our community who are experiencing some kind of sadness.  We all need support of a community and of God when we feel a loss or pain.  This is how God made us, and he made us all that way.  We so often in this society find ways to divide ourselves from others.  We discuss how an accident happened, what could have gone wrong, or more likely what someone did to cause it as we sit in traffic waiting and rubbernecking as we travel by.  We talk about how those of a different ideological bent are supposedly affecting our lives here in the country and wonder why they don't think like we do.  We connect quickly to those with shared experiences, but sometimes find it too hard to talk about things that are really important with those who see things differently than ourselves.  Yet, God calls us all, God created us all, God is part of us all as we are all made in God's image.  That spark of God is what connected me this morning to all those who I knew were affected by those ambulances, it was a spirit of community that was created along with our individual spirits.  God is larger than all of our differences, and calls us first to connect with that piece of God that is part of all of us, that binds us together in one mission, one world, one life before getting caught up in the differences.  Five for Fighting had a song a few years back called Slice that asked the question "How can you be as nice as me?  You're not from the same slice as me." I think as people of faith our starting point with others should always be a feeling of "Hello, my fellow child of God.  God loves you, and I do too."  If you want to hear all of "Slice" click here.