Love is patient; love is
kind. Love never ends.Love. We all experience it in different
ways at various stages in our lives.
As children, we experience the unconditional love of our parents. A
love that surrounds us in trust and security.
As teenagers, we experience "first" love. A love that fills
us with hope and excitement.
As adults, we experience the love of our life mates. A love that is
patient, honest, and supportive.
As Christians, we experience the greatest love of all, the love of our
Lord and Savior. A love that is like no other. A love that is unconditional, true, honest,
and always with us.
In today’s Bible passage, God tells us to love one another. He
tells us to love those who demonstrate outside our church. He tells us to love those who
have caused us to fear and mistrust our neighbors because of terrorism. He tells us to
love those who make hostages of our fellow men and women in pursuit of a point. He tells
us to love those who may disagree with our views on morality, politics, or religion.
This sometimes seems an unreasonable thing for God to ask of us.
Turning the other cheek, loving our enemies, is not an easy task. But he has set the
example of loving. We can rejoice knowing that his love is unconditional, that he forgives
us when we don’t live up to his expectations. In this same way, he asks us to love
and forgive our neighbors.
The events of recent months remind us to tell and show our families how
much we love them. To reach out and help those around us who are in need. To remember that
life is a precious gift to be cherished. It could be gone in an instant.
