Real loveWhat the world needs now is love, sweet love. This is more true today than it has ever been before. But what kind of love are we talking about? Do we need more romance whereby people of the opposite sex try to impress one another and assure one another that their feelings for each other are real and powerful? Or are we talking about simply showing concern for the needs of our fellow human beings? For many people this is what love is all about. But the God of Holy Scriptures tells us, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (I John 4:10). Love is the unconditional giving of one’s self to others, friends and foes. This can only be done when we have received God’s love into our hearts. He takes away our sins, all of them, for the sake of Jesus who died and rose again for that very purpose. He forgives us before we are even aware that we are sinners. Then he opens our hearts and minds to what he has worked in us and declared us to be, children of God. This is the love that changes the world one person at a time. God’s love is what binds a man and a woman together in marriage for a lifetime. He works the romance and commitment into marriage as he nurtures a couple’s faith through his word and sacraments. As we hear about all that God has done for us in love, we are moved to share our blessings with those around us. God shows us how to love our children and teach them to be obedient and respectful to all. The abundance of God’s love in our lives enables us to help the needy throughout the world. We cannot out give the Lord who is always replenishing what we give away in his name. God even enables his people to love their enemies and to show mercy to undeserving people. After all, we were God’s enemies when he came to us and created saving faith in our hearts. There is no fear in love because true love from God means that God is with us and will not allow anything to separate us from him. We have his word on it. The world does need a lot of love, but not just any kind of love. It needs God’s love as it is described in the Holy Bible. It needs this love to be shared by all of God’s people as they live out their lives in their homes, in the workplace, in the community and everywhere they go. There is no great mystery to it. This is simply the way that God has chosen to spread his love through one person loving another. To God be all thanks and praise for his abundant love to all.
