Lately, I’ve noticed a number of people talking about how much they love others.
It reminds me of the “competition” you hear new couples play… “I love you.” “I love you more.” “No, I love you more.” “No, I love you more than that…”
But perhaps the sad side of this love fest is that I’m seeing two different kinds of love expressed.
One side says, “I love you so much I’m going to point out where you’re wrong so you can come clean, repent and get yourself right.”
The other side says, “I love you so much I’m going to ignore everything you’re doing wrong and accept you and everyone else.”
So while it seems that while everyone wants to love others — neither side has agreed upon a proper definition of love.
And to justify their behavior, one side points to Jesus calling out the wrongs of the religious pharisees of his day as the true example of love.
The other side points to Jesus choosing not to condemn the woman caught in adultery as a true example of love (John 8).
Quite an interesting contrast — both coming from stories about the same man.
I’m going to write more about this later but I want to hear thoughts from you — as Insurgents of Love…
How do you show love? How have people shown real love to you? How should we show love?
I’m still figuring that out. I don’t always feel love towards people, so I worry that it might show.
Interesting perspective Travis.
I often hear people talk about their relationships in terms like, “I love her but I don’t like her right now.” I think perhaps it’s a good understanding that love really is a verb and a commitment — and perhaps less of a feeling.
When we commit to loving others it means we may not always “feel love” towards others but we do it anyways.
I don’t see the stories as contrasting but as a good example of a fine line to be walked.
Yes Jesus chose not to condemn the women… *to death* but He also clearly pointed out her breaking of the Law – ‘Go and sin no more’. So often that story is trotted out wrongly to silence whenever someone says ‘hang on doing XYZ is wrong’. Identifying sin in the form of action or theology (works righteousness or legalism etc) is not hurling real deadly stones at the target! 🙂
All have sinned and are deserving of equal eternal punishment.
So it is a voice of concern rather than ranting bullying criticism for both situations. I wish I was better at having that voice. Though I recall Jesus’ words were pretty harsh at times ‘Repent or you too may perish!’ ‘nest of vipers’. Not the cosy image we sometimes nurture.
Though provoking post – thanks 😉
Davy M.
Thanks for your comments Davy! I shared some of my thoughts in a followup post if you’re interested – http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/how-should-we-love/