LOVE

The great commission to go and make disciples of all nations and Jesus’ declaration that, when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be my witnesses, have often felt like a call to share information. There is important information to share, but if we look back at our first week and the definition expanded, consider the common ground of love around the globe, and hear God’s call to love those outside our “loveable” category, this whole great commission and promise of Spirit-filled witnesses is really about loving people into a lifelong friendship with God. If love is “readiness to serve,” then we fulfill our mission as we implement our vision to serve the people of our community.

It may seem almost natural to love our own team. It’s no big challenge to be devoted to the people who are on our side, our party, our school, our church, our neighborhood.  But the call of Christ is to bless the opposition. This means not restricting our love to those we define as loveable, but to really be followers of Christ and practice no revenge and to love everyone.  Jesus was so good at this that the religious leaders, intending to insult him, gave him the greatest compliment of his divinity—friend of sinners!

We believe there is only one God, and that God has defined himself as love. So, are we open to recognizing that "love" is a revelation of God in all world faiths, not just Christianity? John seems unequivocal that "whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him," and that if anyone says "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar.  We have no doubt that Jesus is God and the clearest picture of God's love, and we know that Jesus is the most direct path to experiencing God's love. But we can't get around the reality that "whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him!" Is this true even if they don't know Jesus?

Taking a look at 1 Corinthians 13 and Jesus' "greatest commandment" will enable some enlarging of the definition into how we practice love and how to recognize counterfeit love, especially in ourselves. How does love behave, and what are some clear signs that, regardless of loving words, the actions and behaviors can't be love because they don't match the model of love?