"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
In my opinion the churches main stumbling block is our inability to answer what at first glance seems like a very simple question but is in fact a very complicated one.
What does it mean to love?
Part of the problem stems from the fact that we have taken four words from the Ancient Greek language (agape, eros, philia, storge) that mean different forms of love and have often times translated them as love.
Another part of the problem is that we often try to relate the Love of God to the Justice of God, as opposed to the Justice of God to the Love of God. It is a matter of some debate which point we should start with, but whichever side we fall on changes things drastically.
A third part of the problem is we add different words to love to define how our love looks: tough love, sacrificial love, foolish love, etc.
A fourth part of the problem is that the world also defines love in a myriad of ways, often in stark contrast to how the church defines it.
A fifth part of the problem is that when the world and the church differ in their definitions the church often uses unloving ways of correction, or more drastically perhaps there are times the world loves better than the church does.
The solution? We are not meant to define love, we are meant to love like Jesus loved.
How did Jesus love? Every moment of every day Jesus gave himself to everyone who was in need of him. What if we did the same?
+ How well do you love like Jesus?
+ Is that even something you try to do?
What does it mean to love?
Part of the problem stems from the fact that we have taken four words from the Ancient Greek language (agape, eros, philia, storge) that mean different forms of love and have often times translated them as love.
Another part of the problem is that we often try to relate the Love of God to the Justice of God, as opposed to the Justice of God to the Love of God. It is a matter of some debate which point we should start with, but whichever side we fall on changes things drastically.
A third part of the problem is we add different words to love to define how our love looks: tough love, sacrificial love, foolish love, etc.
A fourth part of the problem is that the world also defines love in a myriad of ways, often in stark contrast to how the church defines it.
A fifth part of the problem is that when the world and the church differ in their definitions the church often uses unloving ways of correction, or more drastically perhaps there are times the world loves better than the church does.
The solution? We are not meant to define love, we are meant to love like Jesus loved.
How did Jesus love? Every moment of every day Jesus gave himself to everyone who was in need of him. What if we did the same?
+ How well do you love like Jesus?
+ Is that even something you try to do?
It seems to me that it is also important to love one's self: to be patient, kind, supportive, and aware of one's own needs. This is not to say that we should put ourselves before others, but that if we do not love ourselves then we cannot be connected to the vine because Jesus loves us. If we do love ourselves, then we have the presence to love others the Jesus did.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Adam, when Jesus talks about the greatest commandment he says that it is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then to love your neighbor as yourself. To me that implies we have to love ourselves before we can love our neighbor. Love points upward first, then inward, then outward.
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