By Erin Cackler, mission development minister
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I was struggling. While volunteering with World Service Corps, I taught a high school Bible class, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get the students to engage. One boy constantly disrupted class, and his influence rippled through the group. I later learned his home life was unstable—his stepdad wasn’t kind, his mom was absent, and he often cared for his younger siblings. Maybe he wasn’t trying to disrupt; maybe he just didn’t know where he belonged.
Frustrated, I prayed for help. One day after class, I spoke with him directly: “I really want you in this class. But if you stay, bring your whole self, not just as a distraction, but as part of the conversation. Because if you engage, this class could be something meaningful.”
The next session, he came. And he truly came, as himself. He asked questions, shared his thoughts, and suddenly, the whole class opened up. The space became one of honesty, learning, and belonging. His choice to engage wasn’t just about behavior; it was a whole-life response, offering his presence, thoughts, and story. And in return, he found connection and community.
Romans 8 reminds us that nothing—no struggle, no doubt, no weakness—can separate us from God’s love. Sometimes we think we need to have everything together before we show up, but God asks us to come as we are. This boy didn’t need to change before he was welcome, he just needed an invitation. And when he showed up fully, something beautiful happened—he grew.
God invites us as we are, but in love, never leaves us that way. When we bring our whole selves, we are shaped by grace, by community, by the Spirit. What if we trusted that we, too, are invited? And what if, by showing up, we allowed ourselves to be transformed?
Prayer Phrase
“For in him all things…were created…” (Colossians 1:16).
The International Community
Find (or imagine) a globe or map of the world. Look at all the nations and find a country other than your own. Notice the geographic distance between your homeland and this one. Picture a person living there. Pray for this person. Sense God’s love connecting you just as the oceans connect the continents. Thank God for the spiritual connection you have with all of God’s people around the globe. Ask a blessing on the church as a community sharing Christ’s peace, drawing all into the family of God.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.