Imagine this scene. Indira Gandhi (India's first - and only, so far - lady Prime Minister) conquers Pakistan in the 1970s. In the 2010s, Pakistanis have been brought to all parts of India, to work for us. To live amongst us. Basically, in exile from their own lands, which now lie desolate. And sometime in the 2010s, our current Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, goes ahead and declares that all the Pakistanis who want to worship Allah can return to Pakistan, and help rebuild what has been broken down. AND, he also decrees that Indians everywhere should help the Pakistanis who are returning to Pakistan and give them whatever 'stuff' we want to - food, clothing, articles for the journey, and so on and so forth.
You can stop imagining now. The first chapter of Ezra, in the Bible, paints such a picture. Exiled Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem, AND their local resident neighbours were asked to help the Jews with material goods for the return from exile. It's unbelievable. Fanatic Christians and believers may nod their heads in approval and call this 'the work of God', but what if this hadn't happened and they were tortured in exile? Would that be also the work of God?
I see a different thought threading this together. Many Christians (or believers) look at non-Christians (or non-believers) as 'heathens', close to how they view Satan himself. The truth is, every human being on this planet is made in the image of God - whether we believe in Him or not, and every human being has the capacity to love, be compassionate, and be awesome. Every single one of us.
Even the rag-tag beggars on the streets. Or the dictators who rule from iron thrones. Or the colleague who tries to undermine our work. Or the jerk that left us holding pieces of a broken heart.
At the end of the day, every human being is a cracked pot. Some more cracked than others, some more used by the Master Gardener than others. Let's remember that as we struggle through our difficult, daily lives.
