Aktive Direkt Hilfe e.V.

The other night I had one of those “chasing” dreams, where one runs away from an opponent, trying hard not to get caught. In this case, I had to flee from two people. I got away, but when I woke up, my heart was racing.

Then I asked God for the meaning of this dream and He showed me the futility of such chases and races. Why do we do that instead of living a peaceful life? I realized how we are raised, trained and surrounded by that kind of a mindset, basically from the cradle to the grave. We are trained to be the best, the fastest, the “Number One”.

Think about games, from Monopoly to other board games, to computer games. Don’t most of them teach us to try to win, to beat the other participants of the game? We see each other as competitors instead of working together!

How different God and His approach are! He has compassion for the people. He has mercy, grace and love. Jesus is the most tangible proof of God’s love. He healed the sick, even on the Sabbath day, when – according to the law enforcers – it was not allowed to heal. He forgave the adulteress when she was about to be stoned to death. He talked with a Samaritan woman who was already married five times and was living with a man, who was not her husband, at a time when it was forbidden for Jews to even have contact with Samaritans.

When we look at the world, isn’t it sad how people and nations are competing with each other? The rich want to become even richer, the powerful nations want to be even more powerful. They build ever bigger barns and more and more powerful and deadly weapons. When will they be satisfied with what they have? Don’t they realize that the big, powerful people and nations will always fall, always? Just look at history. They all fell, the biggest empires, the biggest popes, the richest people have to die one day and cannot take a cent with them.

So, why not rather be compassionate, why not share with the poor? Why not work together instead of against each other? Why not be a peacemaker instead of a warmonger? The most peaceful people I ever met were the simplest people, the Pygmies – looked down upon by their neighbors, their own countrymen. They have as good as no possessions, but have love for each other and prefer to move to another location rather than fight against those who despise or mistreat them.

Jesus was the best example. He had no earthly possessions. Yet, He had compassion on the poor, and the people loved Him for that. He told us: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Mat 5:5-9)

Let us follow His example and show love and compassion to others instead of seeing them as competitors.