I think we never got the clue in the first place.
I watched many this & that posts on social media, and as I worked on my Christmas Eve Message, a I posed a challenge (opportunity) for people, both in my Message and on social media - post a note of what the Holiday Season means, and challenge others to post a response as well.
The response to my challenge was interesting - many "likes", and one person answered the challenge.
One.
(I'm not counting my brother in this, but credit does go to his constant love for the Christmas season with his own blog, pictures, and how he decorates his home and spends his free time baking treats)
Then my brother posted a "Pay It Forward" challenge that I stepped up for, and for those who commented to my post would have to post the same challenge to their Facebook wall. It was nice to see some of my Facebook contacts comment on how they would want to receive a random gift from me sometime in the year, but only one person completed the challenge by "Paying it forward".
I have had people contact me about various forms, stats, audits, etc (it's that time of year) and many of the questions could be answered so much quicker by going to the person with the answer. But because someone said something to someone else last year and hurt someone else's feelings, and never talked to the first person to start with, then it seems nothing gets done.
But some forget to try that "love one another" thing, put the hateful person aside and go talk to the original person for an answer.
Valentine's Day is in a few weeks - a time when the hearts and roses will come out and people will oogle and ahhh over sweet-nothings. I may even be expected to do the "usual 'love' Sermon".
But what love? Love for each other? Love one another? Love for our neighbors? Love for our enemies? Love before hate? Love in outreach and mission? Love in care and understanding?
We can look and search - but we MUST to ask ourselves...
