With the arrival of winter’s frigid temperatures and snowy blast, it was an opportunity for me to sit back by the fire and give some reflection to our history and the beginning of this new year and a new millennium.

What particularly caught my attention was how far we have come. For example, the beginning of mail delivery was by Pony Express, which took days and months, and now, we are able to send a letter overnight. Transportation used to be by horse and buggy, which also took days, and now we have modern automobiles with all kinds of conveniences such as air conditioning and cruise control, that permit us to travel great distances in a matter of hours.

History reminds us of the one-room log cabins that were occupied by the early settlers and their families. Today, we have homes filled with modern appliances and conveniences that look like castles in comparison. Medical advances and technology now give us the ability to perform organ transplants. The computer age has drastically improved our ability to perform daily tasks and management skills.

How far we have come in such a short period of time by the grace and mercy of Almighty God. Yet, despite all of these modern conveniences and technological improvements, there is something that has been in existence since the time of Cain and Abel, Solomon, David, Jesus Christ, and the Apostle Paul that has not changed with time. That something is love. I once cross-stitched a framed piece that bore this verse: “To love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth.”

Jesus Christ said that we should “do unto others as we would have them to do unto us,” and he gave us this command, “Love one another.”

If all of us would simply try daily to live by these ideals, can you imagine what our world would be like? There would be peace and harmony in our homes, schools and work places. The crime statistics would be greatly reduced and our prisons less populated. Conflict among individuals would be minimized so that we could work together side by side in this new millennium. Racial tensions would not exist.

Yes, in our rich and varied history, we have come a long way, but there is still much work that needs to be done. “Beloved,” in this new millennium, “let us love one another for love is of God.”