Love Freely

Once a month I sit in awe of God's goodness and creativity, as I watch each member of my church family take communion. We come from all walks of life. We look very dissimilar. We have very different capacities to give and do. We are in multiple stages of life and our walk with the Lord. We even take communion differently, think differently and bring divergent requests to God. But we are one. Why? Because Jesus' blood made us that way. So how can Christians allow opinions -- or worse, the very differences for which we were chosen -- to divide? Can we allow opinions to negate the power of the blood of Christ?

Look at your spouse -- I mean, really look at him. Is he perfect in every way? Look at your child. Do you love everything about her? Look at the person sitting beside you in the pew, on the bus, at the doctor's office. What do you absolutely love about them? Look at your boss, the one who just told you the transfer you've been awaiting has been categorically denied. Does she remain "the best boss you could ever ask for"? Circumstances. Qualifications. Exceptions. There are things that affect or determine our opinions of one another, but do they change our role or our relationship to others?

Through the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus illustrated our function as neighbor to anyone we encounter -- even those at opposite ends of religious or political thought, or those ethnically or socially different. We are to love our neighbors, those we encounter, as we love ourselves -- not just as some warm, cozy emotion, but actively. Do you make sure you get rest? Do you make sure you've had something to eat daily? Did you clothe yourself appropriately today? Have you found a reason to laugh or something uplifting to read? Do you ever consider doing the same for your neighbor?

Or are you too busy picking them apart to other coworkers? Are you stalking their Twitter for more things to be irritated about? Have you rushed out to put your car in front of your house so he can't park his leaky hoopty there? Are you frantically gathering your things to move away from the weary mother and her bevy of sick children? Did you secretly videotape a Christian sister at the club on Saturday night? (Why are you there?) Have you stopped putting the toilet seat down until your wife apologizes? Do these things sound silly? In light of what was done for each of us the cross, they are sad and wrong. They are ways we try to preserve our selves -- from the condemnation of our friends, from poverty, form extra work, from illness, from hurt. And they are binding -- to those we subject, and to ourselves. Loving others isn't only something we do for others; it's something we do for us! We are one in Christ. And to those not in Christ, we are Christ.

Love others today. Be blessed, and walk in freedom.