Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14; NRSVue
There seems to be a lot of hate nowadays. It’s been built up like in a pressure cooker for decades now. Some of us were to some degree oblivious to that, but no one can be anymore. The steam is coming out full force.
The problem with this as always is that lives are at stake. I can hear something like this: “You’re darned right, and the only way to love is roll up our sleeves and do something about it.” Okay, I certainly agree that lives are at stake, though we might not be precisely on the same page. But regardless, just what should be done?
If you’re talking about violence, and too many are, then you’re not following Jesus and what comes after Jesus in the New Testament. Love never resorts to violence. I am not talking about defending one’s loved ones from harm’s way. I would do something myself, short of harming, certainly of fatally harming the perpetrator. Whatever we do we’re to do it in love. As we read earlier in this letter, it doesn’t matter how good it might seem, if it’s not done in love, it’s worthless (1 Corinthians 13).
We do need to consider more specifically what love is with a description of it. One can see it most clearly in Jesus, in his life and words, in all that follows. Add to or subtract from any part of that, and you no longer have the love described here. Which to me means it isn’t real love or at least not the purest form of love.
One last thing, each of us should love no matter what we’re going through. It is a form of faith, even true (not the phony) spiritual warfare. It will help us. Above all we love in community, beginning with community in Jesus in our church gatherings and from that out to everyone. It’s not meant to be only an individual endeavor as important as that is. We’re in this together and love is becoming complete only when that’s the case.
So let’s love, and be steadfast and active always and forever in love.
Jesus community 