Love One Another

In the Bible, John’s letters remind his congregation – over and over again – that they are to love one another. He repeats himself to emphasize the point – mainly because he knew that it would not be easy! People may disappoint us. They may let us down. They may not share our opinions or worldview. They may break our hearts.

C.S. Lewis once wrote: To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one… Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket–safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable…The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers…of love is Hell.
(C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves)

It is true. Love is risky. It can be tempting to fortify the walls of our hearts and not let others in. But, on the other side of this: when we open our hearts and give of ourselves to others, we share in something of God’s nature. And, we are reminded of how, in spite of our flaws, God risks loving us.

In 1 John we read: “God is love. Those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

Let us pray: Loving God, you are patient. You are kind. You are not irritable or resentful. You do not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoice in the truth. You always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere. You never fail. Thank you, Lord. Teach us to love as you love – through Jesus Christ. Amen.