True Religion

My friend and I were chatting about some of the rough stuff that's gone down in the name of religion. All the chaos, hurt, and the sheer madness of it all. He brought up things like the crusades, the ongoing issues in the Middle East, and big names like Osama bin Laden. And I? I couldn't help but mention the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Even Jesus, who preached love and unity, was crucified. The big wigs of his time just couldn’t handle the change he was bringing. It's like whenever someone shakes things up a bit too much, they're met with major pushback, and sadly, that sometimes turns violent.

But that's not what Jesus was about. He was all about peace.

The Apostle James summed it up well: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27)

Russell M. Nelson, someone I deeply respect, nailed it when he said, "My dear friends, we need more peacemakers. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be just that in a world filled with conflict and turmoil. Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers, and other influencers throw insults constantly. Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to solutions. We need people willing to put aside their differences, listen with understanding, and love one another as brothers and sisters, as Jesus did. He taught, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). He challenged us to ‘love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44)."

We kind of joked, but also wondered, if Jesus returned today just like the old times, would he be turned away again? Maybe because he didn't fit our modern mold or because he disrupted the way we've gotten used to things?

It's said that when he comes back, it'll be with a bang - think red robes, clouds of glory, and angels. Wow, right? Can't wait for that! Until then, I'm aiming to spread love and peace, just as he did.