Do you have contempt for the wicked? What about those who hold different beliefs than you do? Does this open the door for ridicule and scorn? Yet is this Christlike behavior? You may think that contempt is justified by their conduct. Yet the question here is not about them, but about you. For contempt is a characteristic, and those who give in to it are contemptuous people. How would you justify exercising it against anyone who was created in my image? How would this be consistent with love?

Do you recall my lament for the people I saw as being sheep without a shepherd? Do you think this situation has changed, or that I feel any different about it now? How many people do you see that are sheep without a shepherd? Don’t mistake this as a matter of deciding who is a sheep and who is not, for I still have other sheep who are not of this fold, and them also must I bring. I made this lament even though I was a shepherd myself. I have commissioned you to follow me, and given you the authority that requires, so you too are a shepherd.

Are you a leader? Do you think you need a title and an office to be one? There are so many situations crying out for someone to take the initiative and provide direction. You don’t have the authority to usurp power from established leaders, but there are more opportunities for leadership than there are designated officeholders to fill them. You can step into a vacuum without challenging anyone in power. Haven’t you seen this already, and been willing to follow someone who emerges with a plan and direction? You can be the one. Assume the authority you need to do what has to be done.  

Do you think of redemption as a transition from this world to the next? There is an element of truth to that. What about redemption here in this world? A demonstration of that may be a more compelling argument for the validity of the gospel than a promise of a better life in a world to come. If someone’s conscience is awakened, and they turn from their selfish and inconsiderate ways to express love and compassion, doesn’t it signify a real inner transformation? How often do you see this happen apart from a spiritual experience?