True Christian Love

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What stands as an antidote to the decline of Christianity in the Western world? What can stem the tide of ridicule and disrespect directed toward many pastors and churches?

"Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also" (1 John 4:21). What would this look like in real life? Well, it should look like the church to which you belong.

You cannot claim to be a Christian and yet only care about yourself. You cannot be a minister and yet abuse people & take advantage of your position. You cannot claim to love God and yet be foul-mouthed and ridicule your fellow human being. Your church should not claim to be a Christian community if they are not known for their love for one another.

Love of brother and sister is what sets the true Christian community apart. "They'll know we are Christians by our love" is more than a clever lyric for an old campfire song. It should be our way of life.

Tertullian (~200 A.D.) said this about how true Christian love is hard for outsiders to understand. "Such work of love puts a mark upon us in the eyes of some. 'Look,' they say, 'how they love one another and how they are ready to die for one another.' [They are shocked by this], for they hate one another and they are ready to kill one another."

Wouldn't it be nice to have such a "mark upon us" again today? Instead of being scorned as the people who abuse children, who hate liberals and gays, who protect their buddies at all cost, and who say hateful things about one another, how would our witness be different if we were known as the people who love one another? How might people think about Christians if we were primarily known as the folks who would die for one another? And not in self-preserving ways! But rather in life-giving ways intended to protect the least of these my brothers & sisters?

My dad recently shared the story of how our Middle Tennessee church used to welcome African-Americans as recently as the 1970s. Racial division has been an ongoing struggle. Black Christians would occasionally wander into our upper-crust, white-establishment church there in Tennessee. Typically, these would be African-Americans from the north who "didn't know any better." Our "kind deacons" would meet them in the lobby and help give them detailed information about how to find one of the "black churches" in town.

This lack of true Christian love sowed the seeds for Christianity's decline in our country. It's only the tip of the iceberg. Many Christians are continuing to sow these seeds of discord in many & various ways.

But what if we began to sow the seeds of love? What if we really insisted upon showing true Christian love today? Might that sow seeds of health and vitality that our children and grandchildren will one day be able to reap?

"Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also." Meditate on this verse. And pray. And act. And insist that it will be in your church just as scripture commands.

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