An old rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended, and the day had begun. "Could it be," asked one student, "when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it's a sheep or a dog?" "No," answered the rabbi. Another asked, "Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it's a fig tree or a peach tree?" "No," answered the rabbi. "Then when is it?" the pupils demanded. "It is when you can look at the face of any person and see that it is your sister and brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night."
A Canadian by the name of Ashleigh Brilliant draws cartoons to go with pithy sayings called "Pot Shots." There is one I really like. Two people with walking sticks in hand are climbing a mountain in knee-deep snow. The caption reads: "Keep Climbing Upwards! You may never reach the top, but it's definitely in that direction."
We must continue to work toward unity and understanding -- between each other, between the races, between cultures and between denominations. We may never reach it, but by working toward it, at least we'll be going in the right direction. I hope you're going in the right direction. Check your GPS if you need too.
Peace,
Skip
James "Skip" French is the pastor of Highland Christian Church located at 1500 Forest Hills Blvd. in Bella Vista. Opinions expressed are those of the author.