Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ What is Love???

Greetings Dear Reader,

I once had someone dear to me tell me that she did not have to love everyone.  She insisted that respecting others was enough.  She felt that saying that you love others is too high a demand.

If I am going to insist that I must love my neighbor then I must be clear in what I mean by that.  I first turn to what Jesus actually said about it.  He was asked what the greatest commandment was.  His reply was two parted.  First it was to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  He then says that the second is harmonious with it.  That is that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

The word here for love is “agapao”.  It is a form of the word for unconditional love.  It is the same word Jesus uses to tell us to love our enemies.  We will talk more about enemies tomorrow.  For now, however, we need a clear understanding of what it means to unconditionally love a neighbor.    

When Paul is explaining to the Corinthians how they should treat each other he explains what love does.  It is clear that love cannot be seen without action.  Here is what Paul writes.  Even if you do not share my faith it is good to read this.  It will remind you how those who do follow Christ should be acting. 

“I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don't have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.

I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don't have love, I am nothing.

I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned. But if I don't have love, none of these things will help me.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn't jealous. It doesn't sing its own praises. It isn't arrogant.  It isn't rude. It doesn't think about itself. It isn't irritable. It doesn't keep track of wrongs. It isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth.

Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.  Love never comes to an end...”

If you think you love other people and you are not comparing your life to this you may wish to do so.  I hear very little love in the cries for social justice.  I hear anger, arrogance, rudeness, and see a lack of kindness, patience, and love.  This does not mean that the cry for justice is wrong.  It does mean that we need to cry for it in the proper spirit with the proper attitude.

So, if we are going to love our neighbors we must do so in patience, kindness, humility, and truth.  We must not give space to pride, envy, rudeness, irritability (even before my coffee), or jealousy.  There is no room for debate about this if I claim to follow Christ.  I can imagine the impact in a world where we all did our best to practice this. 

It is not easy and I am not there.  I try to be this way always.  I fail and fall and fear.  I give in to my own thinking instead of standing firm in my desire to love others always.  The purpose is this:  If I am attending to loving others with all that I am, then I will not have time or place to be the wretched things I can be as a human.

A dear friend whom I love and respect is demanding laws to prevent certain actions in our society.  When I expressed that legislating it would not work she insisted that it would.  When I suggested that we have a law to love everyone on the BOOK already, she responded that it is not working so we need to try something else. 

We do not truly grasp the power of love.  My eldest Son once called it “barrier crushing”.  That resonates in me always.  No matter what I do, if it is without love it is useless.  Inversely, if I strive to do all that I do with love then it becomes unstoppable.  I think we have forgotten that there is never a time to stop loving and moving out of love.  “It’s the love y’all y’all.”

Love – Petra

Love is patient, love is kind

No eyes of envy, true love is blind

Love is humble, it knows no pride

No selfish motive hidden inside

Love is gentle, makes no demands

Despite all wrong, true love still stands

Love is holy, love is pure

It lasts forever, it will endure

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

Love is loyal, believes the best

It loves the truth, love stands the test

Love is God sent in his Son

Love forgives all we have done

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

In this world where hatred seems to grow

True love goes against the flow

And becomes so hard to show

In this world where push turns to shove

We have strength to rise above

Through the power of His love

Lord, we need to know the power of Your love

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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