Back To Home Page To Archives - Spring of Life - H. Roger Bothwell A Land for Everyone When parting from a Jewish friend I remembered to say, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." While walking away I remembered a conversation with a Christian who said, "Remember the good-old-days when we said, 'Merry Christmas' to everyone and did not have to worry about being politically correct?" Did he mean, "Remember the good-old-days when we did not have to be sensitive to other people's feelings and identity?" Or did he mean, "Remember the good-old-days when we erroneously believed everyone in this country was a Christian except for the very few foreigners we graciously allow to live in this Christian country?" As difficult as it is for some people to understand this is a land for everyone. This place is special because we do not have large groups with centuries old ethnic roots that usually own long memories of hurts and prejudices that ultimately feed the fires of hate and genocide. Everyone here is an immigrant. Every those we call Native Americans immigrated. They just got here first. Above all things Christians should be sensitive and understanding of others. Why should anyone want to be one of us if we are ignorant, narrow-minded, bigoted and rude? Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35 That does not mean loving only those like ourselves. Everyone does that. It means being different by loving those who are different. If do not, then Christmas means nothing. I'm Roger Bothwell and my address is roger.bothwell@verizon.net or 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453. Thank you for your support of our faith ministry. Past devotionals can be accessed at Archives