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The Need for Loving Care Among Christians

From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage by Lebanese terrorists. He was beaten and tormented, and kept in total darkness, but the worst thing he suffered was the feeling that no one cared. In Time magazine he said, "I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me] . . . I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone."

God instituted two social systems on planet earth so that no one would ever be without care: the family and the church. In a day when even Christian families are failing to care for their own, the church must step in and be a community's "Care Central"--a place where love, healing, and acceptance can be found. The New Testament is filled with admonitions to care for those in need, both within the church and without. As Jesus himself said, "The world will know you are Christians by how you love one another" (Jn 13:35, paraphrase).

If you are in need of care, begin by caring for others. If you are "healthy," look to see whom God has put in your path that needs His love.