Today at Church, we talked about Love. It was one of those messages I want to listen to again. There were words of invitation and words that felt like God was speaking them as a gentle reminder of his Word. Those are reassuring moments in my heart.
Today, our Pastor referenced a book I now have on order. invites us to the importance of widening the circle of our affection.
A partial description of the book is as follows: Psychological experiments show how we are predisposed to appreciate those who are similar to us and avoid those who are unlike us. The call of the gospel, however, is to override those impulses with compassion, to “widen the circle of our affection.”
I love the words: widen the circle of our affection. It is easy to offer affection within our circles, but how to intentionally widen the circle to those different from us? Today, I have been considering where those who are different are. They are not as far as I first thought. I am starting with the spaces where I feel my body, mind, or heart pull away.
I also invite you to consider what it means to widen your circle of affection to those different from you. Let’s grow in this way together! ❤️ trish
If you want to listen to a great message, listen here!
