Showing Love

                  “I am the Lord your God…….showing love to a thousand generations
              of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Deuteronomy 5:9b, 10)

Jesus told the Pharisees who were trying to trip him up that the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart and soul and mind. Then he said that the second greatest commandment was to love neighbors and self equally. (That’s paraphrased from the Matthew account.)

This is the month when even in society we follow up the love we saw at Christmas with the love of Valentine’s Day. Movies on television show love stories. The stores have decorations up. People walk around and smile at each other. We love love!

The problem for Christians is that love in scripture is different from the “feel good” love of the movies and all those cards. It’s tough to love according to Christ’s standards.  It’s tough to share love as God shares love with us.  But, that’s what we are called to do.

We are to love folks we don’t know or even understand. We are to love people who are different from our families and us. We are to love those who are most unlovable.

How do we do that? Sometimes it is as simple as listening—really listening—to other people. Sometimes it is making a phone call or taking a couple of muffins to someone who may be lonely. Sometimes it is sitting and crying with another person. Sometimes it is sending a card or a note.

Now, I recognize that sometimes showing love is a big thing. But my challenge to you is to do just one small thing to show love to someone during this month when we celebrate love. Hmmm! What might happen if we all did that?
                      
                                                                                Pastor Nancy