Where's your focus?

3 John 1

New International Version (NIV)

¹ The elder,

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. ⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. ¹² Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the tragic 9/11 events. As I reflect back to the traumatic events of that morning 11 years ago, my heart still aches.  Even more so I am saddened by the reaction of hate, racism, and exclusion by many because of our hurt, pain and shock as a Nation many of us lost focus on doing the will of God and promoting love in the world. Today I turn to 3 John chapter 1 for spiritual strength and encouragement, because as the apostle writes this letter some in the early Church specifically Diotrephes. Diotrephes has lost focus turning his back on fellow believers and the marginalized masses who needed the Church most.  The apostle reminds his readers that we are not to loose focus despite what obstacles and challenges life sends our way. Instead we are to take heed of the words from verse 11 "  Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God". Now is our chance 11 years later to hate no more, to point blame no more, to regain our focus and began to repair our relationships with fellow believers, with one another, and with the least, lost, and left out in our communities.  What's your focus? I pray that it is to love all, to give much, and to do as little hare as possible in the world we all share. May peace rest upon you this hopeful day. 

Be Well, P.J.