Every professing Christian is able to quote the greatest commandments given to us as written in Matthew 22:37, 39, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind….And, the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Valentine’s Day is a good time to consider what it means to “love your neighbor”. This means taking the February 14th concept of love well beyond the romantic frippery of candlelight dinners and dozens of roses, nice as they are.
Who is our neighbor?
Jesus made it very clear in the Bible passage about the Good Samaritan that our neighbors are all the people we come across in our lives. They might live in our community, but they are also the individuals at places of work and recreation, and the people whom we would consider strangers in our everyday lives.
In other words, the description of “neighbor” includes those whom we tend to pass by: the panhandler on the street corner, the distraught mother trying to handle three children in the grocery store, or even the teenager sitting in the next bus seat with silent tears filming her cheeks.
Are we prepared to acknowledge our neighbors, wherever they are scattered throughout our daily lives?
Love is a choice.
Christians believe that an everlasting life with God depends on the choice God made to give “his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We are so fortunate to be able to accept the gift of God’s love that is given to us so freely.
Are we prepared to offer the gift of unconditional love to the people we meet every day?
To deny love to others is to deny their personhood. The impact of the power we exercise when we refuse to love are immense. Are we willing to actually deny an individual his part in humanity?
Love is a behavior.
Love is hard work. The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 lays out a formula for successful living with love. There are many directives that are summed up in two verses. “Love is patient, love is kind.” (vs.4) “It (love) always protects, always trusts, always hope, always perseveres” (vs.7).
Are we prepared to apply all these love descriptors to all the people we meet?
Many sermons have been delivered and many books written on all the ways we can put into action and live these words of Jesus. If we feel we really do not understand this kind of all encompassing love, then, perhaps it would be best to research it and find out how to improve our attitude and actions.
Jesus even said, “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…if you love those who love you…what reward will you get?…and if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others” (Matthew 5:44, 47)?
There is no ambiguity in this directive to love one another.
What are the alternatives to love?
There are two primary alternatives to Christian love. The first one is, of course, the most obvious: hate. How are we denying someone’s personhood if we are hating him?
Everyone has at least some positive attributes. How many suspense stories have been woven around even hardened criminals being tripped up because they followed through on an impulse of love for someone?
Also, we would never want to deny someone the opportunity for change, especially for a transformation through the love of Jesus. Would we? There is simply not enough time here on earth to indulge in the soul-draining emotion of hate.
Are we able to not just let go of hate, but to replace it with love?
The second alternative to love is indifference. In some ways, this is more terrible than hate in terms of denying personhood. If we are indifferent to people, that means we do not even recognize them as God’s creation, as part of humanity. It is as if they do not exist.
Have you ever felt overlooked or snubbed by someone or even by a group of people? If so, you might have felt even a touch of that soul-destroying loneliness that some people live with day after day. This is a state that is often experienced and self-reported by people living on the street and men and women with mental health issues.
Have we done that to people? Denied them their personhood as children as God?
Good news about showing God’s love.
The best news about showing the world the love of God is that we do not have to wait for Valentine’s Day or any other day on the calendar.
We have free access to God’s love at any time. We, in turn, can offer that same unconditional love to everyone else around us. Yes, it might be difficult, but we know that we can draw on the wellspring of Jesus’ love for us to sustain us in all our relationships.
Are we ready to show off God’s love right now, today, and in all the days to come?
Sources
- The Holy Bible, New International Version. Colorado Springs, CO, International Bible Society (now Biblica) 1984.
Constance Woloschuk - 30 years experience in management and organizational development; extensive volunteer work with faith-based organizations.
