[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/October/2021]
You may know the Beatles’ 1967 song “All you need is love”. I was listening to it recently and found myself playing it continuously for a while, particularly moved and encouraged by the repeated chorus, which states, “all you need is love, love. Love is all you need”. John Lennon was apparently trying to influence people’s thinking through the use of a repeated slogan. I’d say it was a very admirable ambition.
Some might argue that John Lennon was being rather naïve in his desire for the world to change for the better but, as followers of Jesus, loving others and being like Christ in the world is exactly what He asks of us. Jesus tells us that our greatest commandment is to love God but the second is to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).
In 1 Corinthians 13 we are reminded, “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails”.
I wonder if today we all need reminding of this central truth. Have I/we become too quick to find fault, criticise and condemn others instead of loving them, forgiving them, showing kindness and understanding? How are we doing in our relationships with family, friends and in our daily acquaintances? After all, without love at the core, all our good deeds and good intentions are worthless. With it, so much is possible.
Paul, in the same chapter of Corinthians challenges the believers who are quarrelling when he says “if I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing”.
My question, for myself and for you is am I truly living a life of love? Are we at HBC demonstrating Christ’s love to each other and to all we meet? Is it obvious to those who encounter HBC? Or are we focusing on too many other things which result in us losing the central message of Jesus? He, after all is the best and perfect example of love, shown through his life, death and resurrection. We really can’t go wrong if we follow His example and do as He asks us.
Amen
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Contributed by Sarah Bell; © the Author
