Infinitum 30 Day Challenge - Week FourSample

No Partiality 

What does it mean to show no partiality when loving our neighbor, not to mention our enemies? The call is a difficult one and it requires humility, patience, and confident hope. I recently shared an interaction with a woman who is deaf as I was checking out at a grocery store. My limited knowledge of sign language gave me the ability to sign a simple thank you. As I walked back to my car I thought about how key communication is in our world. Our ability to listen and understand, speak and communicate ideas, is critical in almost all spheres. It’s a basic human need to feel understood and known. So how can we use this as a launching pad for how we love all people? What would it look like for you to serve those around you by listening to them? I don’t know about you, but when understanding someone requires some extra effort, I tend to get lazy and distance myself from them. The barrier of language creates challenges that sometimes prevent deep relationships. 

What can you do this month to love those that communicate differently than you? There are tons of online resources on interacting with those who don’t communicate verbally or who are hearing impaired. Maybe learn how to greet people in Spanish or Arabic, two of the most common languages spoken by refugees. Seek out those who need the love of a neighbor, be the one to break down the barriers between you, and show no partiality in loving them the way Jesus inspires us to.