Strong spirits: who do you love?
Not just to love those that love us, but to love everyone, even our enemies. Who can do that?
Have you ever received a love letter? Can you remember what it said, how it made you feel? Did you send one in reply?
The Bible is God's love letter to us. From beginning to end, it tells the story of God's immeasurable love for his creation and in particular, we who are made in his image. If we read it as a love letter, rather than a book of rules or random, unrelated stories, it makes a lot more sense.
There are many places in the Bible where that love is made most clear. Certainly the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, where he died on our behalf. The apostle Paul sums up the importance of love in the thirteen verses of 1 Corinthians 13. I encourage you to read it. It sums up the nature of the love God has for us, and challenges us to love like that.
God challenges us not just to love those that love us, but to love everyone, even our enemies. Wow! Who can do that? Only God... and you and I, if he lives in us. When we love like that, it is our love letter back to God.
Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.
