I used to love watching the winter Olympics as a youth. One event that fascinated me was downhill skiing. Men and women raced down the mountain tucked tight over their skies. They flew airborne off bumps and careened through sweeping curves, their skies bouncing on the ruts. The speeds were incredible. So were the crashes. If a skier made a mistake, he or she would spin across the snow, arms and legs akimbo until a safety fence caught them. Broken bones and other serious injury could occur.

After a crash, the commentators would often replay the run and use slow motion to point out where the skier made the mistake. Sometimes, a negative example is helpful.

If we are going to develop brotherly kindness, as 1 Peter urges us, we should listen to warnings about mistakes to avoid.  One warning is in Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (NIV 1984) The word love is the one related to brotherly love or kindness. This verse tells us that our affection and devotion for others, even for family, cannot be greater than our affection and devotion for Jesus. As 1 Corinthians 16:22 tells us, “If anyone does not love the Lord–a curse be on him. Come, O Lord!” (NIV 1984)

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.