They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love

If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no records of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8a NRSV)

For the past week, the daily scripture verse from my Gateway Bible app has focused on love. I can't help but wonder if it was a lead-up to Valentine's Day. A daily reminder of what true love is reminds me sentimental affection, as well as infatuation, is not the love Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians. We cast that word around flippantly. We apply it to objects, food, music, as well as people. Somehow it doesn't feel right.

During the prior seven days as my bible app meted out daily portions of that passage from scripture, I found myself convicted of how often my love is superficial. I think I love like Christ, but when pressures mount, my heart can sometimes become irritable, unkind, find things unbearable, and lose hope. I read each daily verse over and over until tears formed as I perceived my clanging cymbal life. I had felt fairly grounded in what God-love is and believed I walked in it, but I've seen once again, there is to be continual growth in us. We will not reach the pinnacle of perfect love until we see Jesus face to face. Once we feel we've made it, God has to open our eyes to our poverty, and our shortcomings, which we have to be willing to see and desire to change continually. He doesn't do it punitively, but in mercy, so we will repent of coasting and cry out to grow more in Christlike love.

Today's verse tore at my heart. But then when I felt so far from its mark, God gently reminded me how far I have come walking hand-in-hand with him because of his boundless love, the love he wants to flow through me: In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice our sins. (1 John 4:10 NRSV) We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 NRSV) Oh, glorious truth! What hope that should bring.

Where we lack love, God is ready to pour his love into us and through us. 1 Corinthians love is possible through our humble confession of how we fall short of sharing God's love when it's just plain hard. It's easy to love the lovable, our dear families and friends. It's easy to love the masses we don't really rub elbows with. But when we readily confess our lack, God will lead us to a place where we have the opportunity to love the difficult, the modern-day lepers we want to cross the street to avoid. Stay on the same side of the street and let God lead you into a deeper love for all people. 

Jesus told the twelve the world would know they were followers if they loved one another, and he meant 1 Corinthians 13 love. Laying down your life love. And just as they were to first evangelize in Jerusalem and then move outward to the world, our command to love begins with the people closest in proximity to us, some of whom may be challenging. Then we move outward as we grow in greater love.

There is a song made popular during the Jesus Movement of the '60s and '70s, They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love. I've had to ask myself just how clear it is that I am a Christian by my love. My words are worthless without love; love freely given without expecting it to be reciprocated. 

I must admit, I sometimes fall short. If others do soul searching they may discover they also sound like a clashing cymbal at times. God's love will lift you and me over and over until we fully love like him: wildly, absolutely, and without condition.