In This We Know Love

About 200 years ago, an encyclopedia wrote an article on love; it took 5 pages. That same encyclopedia attempted to describe the atom, and they took about four lines. Recently, in a recent addition to that encyclopedia, they left love out altogether and took five pages to explain the atom.

  Love is difficult to explain, but it’s very hard to express; when you think about what should define the local church, what comes to mind? Good friends, dynamic preaching, people in your stage of life, children’s programming, great leadership, growing in size, focus on the underserved and overlooked in the community, or maybe even a focus on deep teaching?

These are all good things, and many are integral parts of the Gospel mission, but what was it that Jesus said would define His people? 

John records Jesus' answer to this question in John 13:35: “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have a love for one another.”  

  Christ calls us to have the kind of love that rises above human indifference to serve others in need. A love that looks at other people through the eyes and with the heart of God.