Yeshua taught, “By this everyone will know that you are my followers: if you have love for one another”. Have the followers of Jesus kept this teaching over the last 2000 years? As early as primary school (US: 1st-4th grade), I remember first learning about the horrors of religious wars between different Christian communities. From my grandmother, I had already developed a particular way of understanding Jesus and what Jesus taught, and it shocked me to the core that people who called themselves followers of Jesus could behave like that towards one another.
That revulsion at such behaviour has stayed with me all my life. When I became a Talmidi – a Follower of the Way – I was determined that Talmidis should never reach a point where we hated each other, or even allowed our differences to prevent God’s Kingdom from flourishing amongst us. I resolved to give my last breath for that purpose.
Yeshua also taught us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called, ‘the Children of God’.” Talmidis are imperfect human beings, just like every other human being, but we have to try and reflect, in the manner of our religious life, the goodness of the God we worship, and the teachings of the great and honourable prophet we follow.
Of all the major religions in the world, I can’t think of any which have not had, at some point in their religion’s history, some kind of conflict between their different sects. It would then be a true miracle if a religion could project a Way of Peace right from its outset, because such a miracle would be a sign to the world that God is with us.
As we grow and develop, there will develop differences between us – I can predict that with full confidence, because we are human beings. But as long as we stay on the path that YHVH our Saviour has laid out for us, and as long as we remain focussed on the ethical teachings of the prophet we all hold so dear, then no one, in their heart of hearts, will be able to say that we are not followers of Yeshua. No one will be able to say that we do not follow the God of All the Nations; they will know these things, by the love that we are steadfastly resolved to show towards one another.
There is no divine dignity in strife or conflict; there is no sacred nobility in hatred, and no graciousness in sectarian rivalry. Whatever differences we have, we must make our peace with those differences. Rather, a community that works to maintain love and respect for one another, will be able to withstand all adversity. Floodwaters will not be able to quench the fire of God’s Glory among us, and no amount of gold will persuade us to betray one another. Love and compassion is the fulfilment of God’s Torah.
Just like Adonai our God, we must be ‘slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love’.