- From the Life of the Early Church: Acts 10:44-48
- Psalm 98 (VU p.818)
- From the Letters of the Early Church: 1 John 5:1-6
- From the Gospel: John 15:9-17
- #574 Come, Let Us Sing of a Wonderful Love
- #289 It Only Takes a Spark
- #333 Love Divine All Loves Excelling
- #646 We Are Marching (sung 3 times)
Early Thoughts: Can love actually be commanded? Or can it only be encouraged?
It was a song we used to sing at camp
A new comandment, give I unto youBut what does it mean to command people to love each other? Is it like the parent telling siblings to stop fighting and "love each other"? Is it commanding a feeling or is it commanding behaviour -- not "feel love" but "act lovingly"?
that you love one another as I have loved you
that you love one another as I have loved you
and by this shall all men know that you are my disciples
that you have love one for another
Generally speaking when the Gospels command us to love we need to see it in the second form. You can't command a feeling after all. Mind you, as most parents will tell you, it is hard to command loving behaviour too. So maybe it is strong encouragement after all.
Following The Way is all about love after all. It is all about acting in a loving way towards our neighbours and our enemies. It is all about seeking God's justice for all people. And we do this because we are, at the same time, servants and friend of the one who came to teach about God's love. We love because we have been loved. We act lovingly because we have recieved loving aaction. We are servants of love because we are born into the arms of God who is love.
JEsus tells his friends that they are to love each other, to love the world with a sacrifical love. Acting lovingly means making sacrifices. IT is a hard way to live. It is not romantic. It is sometimes dirty and bloody and arduous. But as servants of the One who is LOVE we really have no choice.
--Gord
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