"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
What does love look like?
If you watch television, you would assume love looks like 2 months salary and glitters. Or maybe you would think it looks like a mink coat. In the case of the Gene Simmons family, it looks like new implants!
But the world has totally confused love. Love is an action. It is difficult to give. It is needed at the most inconvenient times, and one who is ready to love must be ready to give it, right then.
Love does not glitter, in fact, sometimes it is downright dirty. It's a husband, cleaning the toilet for his very pregnant wife, so she doesn't have to bend over. It is a neighbor, weeding a gardening plot for an elderly friend. It is a man covered in grease, helping a young mom with her car repairs. It's dirty and it is inconvenient.
It's also difficult, for you see, we are not just called to love the lovable. We are called to be loving to those who are not lovable. We are called to do the least damage and provide the most comfort. We are called to those who are not like us, and those who have harmed us the most. Those who make us cry, who make us hurt. We still have to love them. When they take, we have to say, "I don't understand you, but I love you."
Love is not fancy. Love is not bred or dressed up. Love is raw, it is from heaven, not from our earthly realities. Love is a basic. After all, God is love. Love is a basic ingredient to all good. It is not meant to be the icing on the cake, it's the flour in the cake. It's the substance.
This week, love has been two friends coming to hold my hand, and to affirm that God would indeed, always see me as his prized possession. Love has been a daughter, showing me how to can applesauce (yes, showing Mom!) Love has been a son, flashing our family sign, and holding me up. Love has been a neighbor, hugging me, laughing with me. Love has been a friend, on a long road home, chatting with me and discussing theology (I still have no idea why God mentions election and free will at the same time.) Love has been a cup of flowers, delivered to my home at an opportune time, with another reminder of who I am...
Love has been burly motorcycle men who paid my way to our yearly event and then fought over who would give me rides at the event. Love has been my dear classmates, who are welcoming home with open arms and helping me across deep waters.
Love is.... won't you share in the comment section what love has been to YOU this week?
I'm thinking of the Chik-fil-a "fiasco" and how we as Christians probably did not show love to the LGBT community. It was something that hit close to home. We as a Christian community could do a much better job of sharing love instead of pointing fingers.
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