In It Together

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:11-17 ESV). Scientists who design robots are up against a common problem: creating programmed machines that are able to work alongside unpredictable human beings. During a gathering at Carnegie Mellon University, researchers from all over the world described the triumphs and trials of their androids. When "Minerva" debuted as a guide at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the children visiting the museum wouldn't give the robot any respect. Instead of following Minerva's directions, they jumped on the machine and tried to take it for a ride. Scientists have now given Minerva a voice and a moving mouth and eyebrows. Minerva now frowns at people who obstruct her passage and smiles at those who allow her to pass through and continue leading the tour. Another revolutionary robot under development will help blind persons who aren't strong enough to walk with canes or guide dogs. A different machine designed to search for land mines presumably won't need the same pleasing personality as Minerva, but it will still have to interact with humans. There's no getting away from the daily necessity to get along with other people. And there's no end to the evidence of our failure to interact successfully, even with our families and friends. The problem predates robots thousands of years. History is full of those examples. No wonder the apostle Paul advised a group of first-century Christians to "bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:13-14). Patience, forgiveness, and love are often the last things we want to give someone who wrongs us. But those qualities are the key to living and working together in our world. Because Christ has forgiven us, we are to forgive others in the same way. God could have programmed us, but He didn't. Instead, He gave us the incredible privilege of choosing our attitudes and actions toward others. Minerva smiles when people cooperate. We have the option to be kind and considerate even when they don't. After all, we are all in it together!