This morning I am continuing to reflect on verses from John's first letter, and they seem especially poignant these days, as so many forces are trying to whip us into a frenzy of hatred or fear. Here are the verses - 1 John 4:16-21 NIV:
[16] "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. [17] This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. [18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
[19] "We love because he first loved us. [20] Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. [21] And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."
These verses are such a complete departure from what is being fed to us on almost media format available. Whether I turn on the news, read the news, log into Facebook or an other social media, it seems I am fed a constant stream of fear, anger, hatred, division or judgment. It has become so prevalent that my choice is to turn it all off, as the goal of it all seems clear to me, the destruction of trust and peace.
I am choosing a different path and one that is the path lined out for us by the Lord! I have spent the last few days studying some of the components of our faith that are often used to sow fear, or incite judgment and religious works, and it is so clear that even those things are not key to the Gospel that Jesus came to proclaim. Somehow much of the church has lost its way, and lost much of its message. It saddens my heart that the primary characteristic of the church, as seen by the world, is not our love.
I love how these verses start with the fact of God's love! It is a fact! He loves us all! If we take this fact and learn to rely on this fact, and see this as His primary motivation in all His dealings with us, it changes our perspective completely. In my life I have often had the opportunity to help different groups of people through times of misunderstanding and hurtful exchanges. It has been my observation that the majority of the time the wounds that are suffered are due to misunderstanding the other person's motive and thoughts. When provided the opportunity to question the offending person, they are usually completely unaware of the motives being assigned to them by the person who was hurt. We respond to this misunderstood motive, and this becomes the source of our pain. Back to the first line, if we assume and rely on the fact that God loves us, than we change the way we look at our circumstances.
Moving on, this love is the source of our opportunity for intimacy with God. He desires to live with us, and to love us. We are not alone!! His love, and the knowledge of His love, should fill us with confidence. This love should dispel our fear of God's punishment. He is not looking for opportunities to punish us, nor is he actively punishing us. So often I hear people ascribe the suffering or pain they are experiencing to God, and nothing could be farther from the truth. His desire is NOT to punish us, NOT to drive us in fear before Him, NOT to have us cowering in the corner, afraid to step out of line in the least lest we receive His retribution! Love for us, deep abiding, laying His life down for us love, is his motivation.
Pain and sorrow in the world are the result of sin and separation from Him. We have the opportunity to choose to restore that which was lost. In every situation, we are given the chance to choose to love, to choose to trust, to embrace peace. Our actions and our words can reflect love, can spread love, can further love. When confronted with anger or hatred, we can choose to express love instead. It is difficult, it requires a trust in God, and it requires God's peace and strength to not give into the fear or anger that is being spewed. As John writes, we also must love our brothers and sisters. The challenge is to do so, when in the midst of angst and turmoil.
I watched a great documentary about a man who overcame hatred through love. He was an African American man, who reached out to members of the KKK, and befriended them, and cared for them and loved them. For many of them, this relationship changed their attitudes and certainly their perceptions. If we assume the other person hates us, or we label them and never get to the know the actual person, it is easy to hate. He would always start with the fact that He didn't know them and they didn't know him, so why should they hate one another. As they got to know each other, they realised that they weren't that different and could have a respectful, even caring relationship. It was wonderful.
I love how once in a while there will be pictures shared of supposedly opposing groups meeting one another and hugging, or having a barbeque, allowing themselves to push past the assumption of motive and hatred to see each other as brothers and sisters. Love is not difficult, it just requires a willingness to choose love over hatred, love over fear, love over division.
This day I choose to love because He first loved me. I choose to trust His love. I choose to extend Love. I choose to reject that which tries to stir up fear, anger, judgment and hatred! Lord please help me to reflect Your love in every word and every action!
Amen!
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