Habitat for Humanity founder and president Millard Fuller travels the world spreading Habitat's message of decent housing--and witnessing firsthand the unity Habitat creates among people everywhere.

God's Love is for Everyone
"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
-Matthew 5:44

by Millard Fuller

The world is so divided. We hear almost daily about the divisions in Iraq. There are the Shiites, the Sunnis and the Kurds, all vying for position and jockeying for advantage. The Israelis and the Palestinians are locked in a deadly struggle, with both sides committed to revenge and retaliation.

In Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants live in separate communities and hostilities between them erupt from time to time. Christians and Muslims eye one another with suspicion. Terrorist acts kill people on a regular basis.

In the United States and in a number of other countries, a divide exists between whites and blacks. And there is the huge separation of the haves and have-nots all around the world.

In the midst of such division, there is a powerful instruction from Jesus simply to love. Nothing more audacious or revolutionary has ever been spoken by a political or religious leader.

Simply love. Love everybody. No exceptions. Even enemies.

What does that have to do with Habitat for Humanity? As a ministry that seeks to put God's love into action in a practical way, we never put limits on our expression of love. That's why we accept applications and build houses with families in need regardless of race or religion.

That's also why we set the goal of eliminating poverty housing. We believe that every family should have, as a minimum, a simple, decent place to live.

Unfortunately, we sometimes run into negative attitudes in certain communities called "Not In My Back Yard" or NIMBY. People may say, "Habitat for Humanity is a great work, but don't build your houses near me. Go somewhere else." Or they may say, "Those people might damage our neighborhood, and they may make our property values go down."

Self-interest and self-love drive these feelings and attitudes. Love for others, especially those who are different, gets swept away.

But Jesus was right. God is love and love is for everybody. No one should be left out. Every family--every mother, father and child on Earth--should have a good and decent place to live. That includes friends and enemies, people who are like us and those who are different. No one should be left out.

I am committed to that idea and to that ideal. Habitat for Humanity is likewise committed. Are you? If so, God bless you and thanks. If not, I hope you'll join us. You are urgently needed in a broken and divided world.