Philippians 2:1-8

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:

Though he was in the form of God,
        he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
        by taking the form of a slave
        and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
        he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
        even death on a cross.

Several weeks ago, painted hearts started popping up on driveways and sidewalks around Hutchinson. Now you can find them all over town – the work of a group of artists who identify themselves only as “Spread the Love Hutch” who work at night. The work is done without charge but is supported by monetary gifts to help purchase supplies. The heart shown above is located at Trinity UMC, but they can be found in various designs along residential streets, on building walls and entrances, schools and business, on objects such as fences and boards that can be displayed around properties – and they are all over town, wherever they have been requested. I have one on my driveway, as do my neighbors on either side.

These pieces of art began appearing shortly after the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd. Do they solve the issues behind racial unrest and societal inequalities? Of course not. But they do show a better way of dealing with the issues that face us if we are to build a world where there are fewer inequalities, fewer reasons for unrest.

Each heart is unique. I look for them as I am driving around town and have seen many of them. Each is a little different than others. They must be unique because each is a separate creation by different artists. Each of us is unique, too. And our uniqueness, as with the hearts, has the capacity to turn each of us into instruments of love seeking answers rather than rebuttal.

“Spread the love” seems to me to be the message in the passage from Philippians cited above. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. (Philippians 2:4) I believe this is the way to that world with fewer inequalities, fewer reasons for unrest. Each of us has something we can do to spread the love Jesus offered to the world when he went to the cross. So, let’s identify what that “something” is and “spread the love, Great Plains!”
 

Prayer for Reflection

Exodus 1:8-2:10
Psalm 124
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20