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A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35
How do you show love? In my family, we show love with food. Baked mac & cheese is my food of choice for showing love. It’s so comforting…warm, crunchy, cheesy. How could you go wrong with that? But, it’s easy to show love to family, friends, pets, babies- people who are easy to love. So, what about people who are not easy to love? When Jesus spoke the words above, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”, he was about to be betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter. He knew these horrible things were about to happen, betrayal from his closest friends and some of the deepest pain, but he still said, “Love them.” Have you ever been betrayed? It can leave you feeling so shell-shocked. It breaks your connection with that person instantly. It causes frustration, sadness, shame, and sometimes rage. When you are betrayed over and over again, it can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless. But, God gave us courage and strength in this command: love one another. His love is never ending, and so ours should be, because love is a powerful force. This is what I want to teach my children, because I know in my bones that it is right. You don’t fight fire with fire, and in the words of one of my favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” I hope you can find some moments to show love this week.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for showing us how to love. Thank you for your example of love, acceptance, and humility. Thank you for giving us strength and courage through love. Help us to show love the way that God intends for us. In your name we pray. Amen.
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