God is Love
In an age where the slogan is “Love is Love,” it is far too easy to forget an even older slogan that God is love. While wars rage around us, literal, political and theological, it is easy to get lost in the world of chaos; to be uprooted and tossed about.
This love that God is, fundamentally, is a love that chases after his entire creation, no matter what we are carrying with us. Through cancer, or job loss, or crisis, God is a God who is reaching out His arms in love. One of my favourite passages from Scripture is 1 John 4:8-12 which states:
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (ESV)
Christians are not just called to love because it is the right thing to do. Often we forget that the love that is supposed to flow from us isn’t because we are good people, or the fact that we love God, but it stems from the fact that the God of the universe loves us. That the God of the universe knew each and everyone of us intimately before we were even born (cf. Psalm 139:13). The God who sits on the throne reigning in heaven loves each and everyone of us. He loves us so much that he sent His only Son, Jesus, who is 100% God and 100% human, to die for our sin on the cross. What an amazing love.
It is because of the fact that God is love that we are called to love one another. Often when it comes to secondary beliefs (like modes of baptism, ordination, LGBTQ+, women in ministry) the Christian love ethic and the primary doctrines, which unite brothers and sisters in Christ, are laid down. In my experience, when this happens the Christian love ethic is quickly dismissed and we neglect to love those who are different from us. Here, people are going to say that they still love the person, they are just trying to correct “false doctrine.” While I am not negating that these secondary beliefs or doctrines are not important, they are in fact of utmost importance, they do not allow anyone to negate the fact that we are called to love because God is love, and has demonstrated what love is to us—through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
When we disagree with those around us, about secondary doctrines or about things other than theology, I would argue that we are called to lay down our pride and ego at the cross and engage in loving and fruitful conversation and embrace those who are different than us. That might mean stopping by and conversing with the homeless that we pass by every day. It might mean seeking out opportunities to engage and listen to the stories of LGBTQ+ people—breaking into their story like Christ broke into the story of the world at the incarnation.
Christians are known for what we do not stand for, but how are we going to change that narrative and let people know what we stand for? The world already see’s the Church in a negative light. They see us as a divisive people who are full of hypocrisy and hate. There are many stories of abuse within the Church and this is what the world sees the most. I’m not saying this is all we known for. There are many Christians who stand up for and serve those who are on the margins of society. They do this by loving and welcoming refugees, engaging the homeless as the hands and feet of Jesus. The love of Christ is shining in the world, but the more people I talk to outside the Church the more I realize the image is tarnished by the abuse and negligent attitude towards those on the margins.
This Valentine’s Week, lets change that narrative. Let’s demonstrate that God is love, and that He fiercely loves His creation. Instead of majoring on the minors, lets truly live out the Christian love ethic to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to truly love our neighbours as we love ourselves. (Matt 22:37-40)