CHRISTIAN COMMENT: More than a feeling
RECENTLY in our church we finished a series we began over lent looking at the subject of love.
We learned that love was more about doing than feeling, and equally love is not something we earn but something that we freely give away.
Having finished that series, it's given me the opportunity to question myself, "how much do we really love each other as a community".
My honest discovery is to come to the conclusion that most of us tolerate those around more than we do love them.
If loving people meant wanting the best for them and seeing them flourish in every are of their lives, then it means loving people will include telling the truth but doing that with genuine kindness.
In our political correct age, it is becoming easier to tell people just what they want to hear or what we think they need to hear rather than the truth.
The story is told of a burglar caught red-handed in the act, whilst he was being caution he played the racial card, "you are only doing this because I am black".
I hope the arresting officer had the courage of his conviction to tell him, it had nothing to do with the colour of his skin but more to do with his act.
Hundreds of years ago, Jesus said: "Knowing the truth leads to freedom."
If we really love someone and want them to walk in freedom, then we need to develop the courage to speak the truth lovingly to them, even if it is at the cost of a friendship.
Equally, loving someone also means accepting them for who they really are – this takes discovering the truth about them and accepting their God-given nature and personality without wanting them to conform to our own view of life.
Jesus said we should love God with everything we have and love our neighbour as ourselves.
I think if we practice these more, our community, our neighbourhood, our home and town will be a much better place for everyone.
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Weather for Worthing
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
