As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Love each other - that means love EVERYONE! That's why this commandment is hard, because it's not just loving those people you love and like and accept. It's actually about loving the people you don't agree with, don't understand and don't like very much - how do we do that? And that's where we rely on God; that's when we realise how much we need Him.
That's when we really know how amazing God is that He can do that for us all; even though we're wayward and headstrong and difficult and cantankerous and disobedient and argumentative. This is how amazing God is,
And the church? How do we cope with differences and splits and separations in theology? We do it by loving one another, completely! The church is God's people together to support each other unconditionally; wouldn't that be amazing of as a worldwide church we could achieve that.
I found this song today and it touched me on these issues, especially as for those in USA it's mothers day today; enjoy.
If this is not a place - Ken Medema
If this is not a place, where tears are understood, then where shall I go to cry?
And if this is not a place, where my spirit can take wings, then where shall I go to fly?
I don't need another place, for trying to impress you, with just how good and virtuous I am,
No, no, no, I don't need another place, for always being on top of things. Everybody knows that it's a sham, it's a sham.
I don't need another place for always wearing smiles, even when it's not the way I feel,
I don't need another place, to mouth the same old platitudes; Everybody knows that it's not real.
So if this is not a place, where my questions can be asked, then where shall I go to seek?
And if this is not a place, where my heart cry can be heard, Where, tell me where, shall I go to speak?
So if this is not a place, where tears are understood,
Where shall I go, where shall I go to fly?
No comments:
Post a Comment