Wednesday, September 11, 2024

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First, we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.  (1 John 4: 17 -21, The Message Bible)

                 My brother, Wayne, turns 80-years-old tomorrow. I’ll save the “getting old” jokes for his party on Saturday. Although, I think he reads this stuff, sometimes, and maybe I should use a larger print font our of respect for the elderly.

                In truth, my brother has been a significant influence in my life.  I am sure that we may have fought as most siblings do, but that is not the part I remember best. What I remember most appreciatively was and still is his constant encouragement and support. Especially during my teen years, he was the one I would turn to for advice and guidance.  During my high school years, I recall how many of my friends would rant and rave about their brothers or sisters, seemingly on the verge of hating them. It was so foreign to me as I deeply valued both my older sister and brother. Wayne was the one who welcomed and included me in his life in so many meaningful ways. For sure, he played an important and inspiring role in my decision to go into ministry. As the old song goes, he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. And I am blessed and grateful for him. But don’t tell him I said so.

                Actually, we should be more active and vocal about the love we have for our family, friends and fellow believers in our communities of faith. We are living in a world that seems too full of hate, animosity, violence, brokenness and seething dislike of others. There is too little tolerance, forgiveness, respect, acceptance, forbearance, understanding and encouragement for one another, never mind love. We seem to isolate ourselves from one another, divorce ourselves from each other, seclude ourselves from those who are different, i.e. not like you or me. Be it in family life, school life, church life, politics or on a world stage, love gets a short shrift. Too many are “not yet fully formed in love.”

                Yes, love is an overused and overworked word, hard to define exactly and elusive. But to live without love is indeed crippling. All of us need love and deserved to be loved. The Good News is that we are all loved, first by God as demonstrated in the person of Jesus Christ. We have been given a model of love in the Word made flesh, Jesus. “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13: 34 -35, TMB)

                As a seminary student, I spent a summer as a chaplain at a correctional center for juvenile offenders. I led Wednesday chapels which were compulsory for the youth. Early on, I used the 1 Corinthians 13 chapter on love as my text.  After my “brilliant” discourse of what Love is, a young boy stood and yelled out that he was tired of always hearing about love at chapel services. He thought it was a bunch of baloney. When people lead lives without much, if any, love, it is easy to become cynical, bitter and doubtful.

                Which is to say, that love without actions, works and deeds ends up as a bunch of cliches and tired old love songs. “Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (James 2:8, New Living translation) This love is tangible, personal, generous, abundant, and even sacrificial, at times. The Gospel Love is expressed by what we do, say and practice. We are to love one another, as brothers and sisters, both literally and figuratively.

                These words are as true as ever. “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.”  (1 Corinthians 13: 5-7, TMB)

                Happy birthday, Bro!

Dale