Observation: It's typical as Paul is closing a letter to offer a series of moral imperatives. There are a lot of good ones in here. The one that stands out to me most today is "rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep."
Application: The hardest part about being a Christian is that compassion is not optional. This is not advanced, senior-thesis stuff. It's the most basic introductory, 100-level teaching of Jesus: "do unto others as you would have done to you."
It doesn't matter how near or far away someone is, how similar to or different from me. We need not share the same religious views, or political convictions or moral values. We don't have to have the same sexual orientation, or gender identity, or even concept of what gender is. We don't have to have the same legal status in this country, or have an equally clean criminal record. We don't have to like each other, or even believe the other is doing more good than harm in this world. A person doesn't have to be sober, or in recovery, or even trying to get help to warrant my compassion.
If I am serious about actually following Jesus, then I need to imitate his way of life, and that means if you are rejoicing, I have to rejoice with you, and if you are weeping, I have to weep with you. That doesn't mean sharing your views about what is worthy of rejoicing or weeping. It means being aware of your joy or pain, and treating it with as much reverence and seriousness as my own. It's exhausting, and it means I have to listen to the news and listen to my neighbor when I don't always feel like it. But I do it because I trust Jesus, and Paul whom he sent out, that this is ultimately the best way to live.
Pray: God, fill me with joy for those who have joys today. Help me to grieve with those who are grieving today. Amen.
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