Once you weren’t…

Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10, CEB)

You are living stones. The true cornerstone was rejected by those who should have known and accepted him, but yet they didn’t. They were focused on their power and status. The things that keep us from loving others. We love our things and status too much to let people get in the way. When we stop loving things and power and using people to keep us there and start loving people and using the things we have and the power we have to make the world right for everyone is when we will be living stones and the foundation for the world God intended.

You were not a people, but now you are. When you realize that people are to be loved and things used and everyone is to be made equal.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.