Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Jim Armstrong.
I love beautiful sunsets. So does Joyce and she has hundreds of pictures to prove it. She even loves sunrises, I don’t, it’s too early in the morning. I love the color red, but I love the color green better. I love living at the lake and watching the loons and the variety of birds at the birdfeeder. I love ice cream. I love going out to eat. I love being retired. I love God and I love my church. I love Joyce. And the list goes on. We love everything or most everything. We even love people but not all of them.
The problem is that we don’t even know what love is. We think that because we like something, we love it. But the scripture says that love is more than that. In English we only have the word for love while the scripture has several.
In 1 John 4 we read that God is love. That term is used 46 times in the short letter. Real love comes from God, and if we are hooked up with him, that love must be passed on. We are even supposed to love people even though we don’t like all of them, because that is what love does. Even people are a part of God’s creative love.
Jesus always becomes our example. Did you ever read anything about him not expressing care, compassion, and love to anyone he met even though he did not like the circumstances in which he found them? There was love in everything he did.
A leper is unclean. Don’t get close, they say, and definitely don’t touch them. Jesus went up close to a leper and touched him. “Be healed,” he said, and he was. God’s love was at work. A blind man can’t see anything. “I love you,” says Jesus, “and I can change that.” And he did. “Be healed,” and he was.
The demon-possessed man was shunned by everyone except Jesus. “I love you and so does God. Be healed,” and he was. God’s love was at work.
You want to know what real agape love is, look at the cross. I don’t like the cross, it’s gross. But it says something to us about God and love. Jesus says I love you enough to be there. In the midst of death is God’s love and forgiveness so that we might be a part of God’s world, and God gives us his spirit to assist us in being like him, to be a loving person. To see things through his eyes. The cross is God’s love shining down.
Agape love is true love because it is God infused. What do you see when you look at the world around you? I love the color green because it tells me of the change of seasons and the green tells me of God’s loving creative activity at work. New life out of the darkness of winter. I love a beautiful sunset because it is part of God’s loving gift to me for my enjoyment. Each evening, he is saying good night, sleep well and I and my love will be with you in the dawn of a new day.
I love the birds on the feeder because I see God’s love in variety and beauty. All part of God’s loving creation for my enjoyment and yours too.
I love Joyce because God’s love brought us together and has shaped our lives and sustained our married life together for 67 years. When I look at Joyce I see God, I see God’s love for us. Without love our lives would be nothing. Without God’s love we would be lost. Love has its source in God.
Love is God. God is loving. God is spirit and light and patient and forgiving and faithful. No one has ever seen God, so if God’s love has any meaning at all, it must find its expression in the things that those who claim God’s love say and do.
When people look at us what do they see? Do they see God? When we see people being of service to other people, do we see God at work? When we look at people around us what do we see, do we see God? Do we see God’s loving creative spirit in each person we come in contact with day by day, even if it is with people we do not like?
Do we see God’s creative loving spirit being extended by us to other people who are just like us? Love isn’t love unless you give it away.
What do you love? Who do you love? God loves you and so do I.
Prayer – God help us to be more loving people just like you! Amen.