A New Social Order
We
are
members
of
a
new
society,
a
new
social
order.
The
peace
that
reigns
in
our
midst
is
not
due
to
laws
and
law
enforcement.
We
do
not
do
things
out
of
obligation,
but
because
we
choose
to.
In
this
life
of
love,
no
one
has
a
right
to
be
cold
to
his
neighbor.
Malice,
put-downs,
and
paybacks
are
foreign
to
our
way
of
life.
Love
restrains
us
from
striving
to
get
ahead
of
each
other,
from
taking
advantage
of
one
another,
from
turning
our
backs
on
one
another
when
times
get
hard.
Everyone
knows
what
the
old
social
order
is
like,
in
which
each
person
is
responsible
for
his
own
life
and
the
lives
of
his
family,
if
he
has
one.
Once
people
have
food,
clothing,
and
shelter,
they
may
try
to
be
kind
to
their
neighbors.But
there
is
a
limit
and
there
are
barriers — racial, religious, political,
and economic. No matter how many laws are passed, the walls
between people still remain. Even within families there
are barriers. One brother has his set of friends, the other
has a different set, the sister has still another. And many
families can’t even sit down and have a simple meal
together without fighting.
A Radical Solution
The
new society we live in is not this way. We have found a
radical solution that enables us to love. The chains of
fear and guilt that used to bind us have been broken.
Who can love when the barrier of guilt rises up? That barrier
is the painful weight, the sudden memory that comes when
you are with someone you have hurt, or someone who has hurt
you. Who can give when they are afraid of losing their possessions,
their time, even their own life?
Our Master Yahshua,
the Son of God, has washed away our
guilt with His own innocent blood. He has given us the power
to forgive others just as He forgave us. We have received
the same spirit that raised Him from the dead, His Holy
Spirit. Now we can dare to suffer loss in loving others,
because fear and guilt no longer have any power over those
who trust Him.
The new social order we are talking about is not ideal.
It is real. Ideal societies are the territory of
dreamers and intellectuals. No one has ever thought up an
ideal society that actually works in reality. In fact
,
there is no location on earth where you can observe an ideal
society at work. Man-made societies are based on laws, and
laws can only limit evil, not create virtue.
No, this new social order is not perfect. We who were raised
under the old order are faulty in our love. The desires
of the self tug at
us, and we are continually inneed of forgiveness. But our
Master Yahshua gave His life to pay for our sins so that
we could forgive each other and press on towards the goal
— that His new order would one day fill the whole earth.
So it is not because of rules, regulations, or even religious
principles that we in this new social order live together
and share our property and possessions. Bible verses do
not have the power to cause people to love and respect each
other. The Bible by itself can’t
even
make
people
agree
on
what
it
says.
The
thousands
of
Christian
denominations
are
ample
proof
of
this.
The old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together"
aptly describes every social institution of the world, including
all religions. Unless forced to do otherwise, people naturally
gravitate toward others who have a similar self-interest.
So in Christianity, for example, you have the white church,
the black church,the rich church, the poor church,
the conservative church, the liberal church, and even the
"gay" church. Today, there is a denomination for
every inclination.
The saying holds true even for communal living, both religious
and otherwise. Whatever "intentional community"
a person joins depends on his intentions. Some rally around
a social cause, others a political agenda, and still others
a doctrine or philosophy. But the deeply rooted barriers
of
guilt and fear spring up even there. Ultimately self-preservation
outweighs all other considerations and even birds of the
same feather find it difficult to nest together for very
long.
Yet, despite these overwhelming obstacles, the prophet
Ezekiel, 2500 years ago, recorded a vision of something
new and different.
In his vision God Himself took a tender shoot and planted
it so that it would grow up to become a mighty tree itself:
Under it every kind of bird will live; in the
shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every
kind. (Ezekiel 17:23)
This prophecy might seem obscure and unimportant if the
Son of God had not echoed its words some 500 years later:
What is the kingdom of God like? ... It is like
a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden;
and it became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests
in its branches. (Luke 13:18-19)
This new kingdom is a social order ruled by the God of
love.
He is the "someone" who planted that tree. It
is His doing. It is not because of man’s ideals or
laws that we are able to live this life of love, but because
of His Spirit.
Restoration
All the prophets since ancient times have spoken of this
new social order in which all things are restored —
the relationship between humanity and God, men and women,
parents and children and between the different races.
Some will not be able to see the difference between what
we are describing here and a dozen utopian ideals and philosophies.
Some will feel that it is too good to be true. But there
are those who are ready to do the will of their Creator
and they will know whether this is actually God’s kingdom
we are talking about or just something wemade up. To gain
this life costs you everything, but as our Master Yahshua
said:
Those who want to save their life will lose
it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save
it. (Luke 9:24)
All
who
really
believe
that
He
died
as
a
payment
for
their
sins
will
no
longer
live
for
themselves
but
for
Him —
giving
all
their
possessions,
time,
and
energy
to
see
His
people
flourish
and
His
justice
prevail.
If you are looking for a nice community where you can do
your
own thing, you would certainly be wasting your time to come
here. But if you desire to live a life of self-sacrificing
love, to experience the deep soul satisfaction of doing
what you were created for, we invite you to be a part of
this new social order that is re-emerging on the earth.
Printer-friendly
