We are called to love.  Love God and love people, according to the Good Book.  In my family, we have a funny joke that we say to one another – Love God, hate people.  Not that we really hate people, but sometimes it is extremely difficult to love.  Who am I kidding, for some people, it feels impossible to love them.  We’ve thought about making t-shirts, so let us know if you want one!  Only kidding, kind of.  However, each of us do have different types of people that are easier to love.  But the bottom line is this, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, then we are dead.

We have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ in me.

In that case, what does love look like?  If we fall into the trap of comparison of other brothers and sisters in Christ, then it is easy to find at least one person that we love better than.  But are our brothers and sisters the plumb line?  Are our brothers and sisters our comparative mark in our earthly families? No.  Our parents don’t, or shouldn’t, determine our success based upon the success of a sibling.  Each stands alone.  Our plumb line is Christ and Christ alone.  We as believers and followers of Christ are called to be truly that, followers of Christ.  Image bearers.  A reflection, ikon.  The old cliché is that we are the “hands and feet of Christ”.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it, according to 1 Corinthians 12:27.

Our love is based solely on how Christ loved.

And how did Christ love?  Or how does the Father love?  We have a popular worship song right now that speaks of the overwhelming and reckless love of God.

These lyrics are not in order, but you will get the point:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me

You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me

These words are powerful.  God’s Word is powerful of speaking of God’s consuming, everlasting love.  But the conclusion is a tough one to draw.  If this is how Christ loves, if this is how the Father loves and we are to be a reflection of this Christ that we follow, does this mean that this is how I am to love?  Am I to love recklessly?  Is my love never-ending?  Am I to chase people down to love them?  Am I to fight to find people to love?  Do I leave the comfortable 99 to look for the one person who needs love?  What about my foes?  Paul writes that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  That means while I was an enemy of God, Christ died on my behalf.  That means I hated Him and he sacrificially gave his life to save me, because of love.  And not just an easy, “Okay, I know they hate me so I can still take a gift to the party and be kind.”  No – He fought for the chance to love, even while I hated Him.

What about when my worth was gone and I felt no value in life.  He gave ALL He had for me.  He gave value for me.  Goodness and kindness.  Goodness and kindness.  But now let’s even go a step further – lighting up shadows?  Climbing up mountains for this same opportunity.  To love.  Kicking down walls and tearing down lies.  For the chance to love.  All to come after me.  All to go after them.

What do we find in the shadows?  Shadows are dark.  Shadows can be scary.  Shadows can have things lurking, waiting to pounce. Shadows are uncomfortable.  When an object blocks the light, it makes a shadow.

Climbing up mountains?  Climbing produces sweat.  It is physically exerting, and we can even pass out if not properly nourished.  We will need food and water in order to climb with any efficiency.

Kicking down a wall – what does that take? Well, I’ve been told proper technique is needed to efficiently kick down a wall.  And I would also think it would matter the kind of wall, how big the wall is and how long the wall had been there.  The stronger the hold of the wall, the more difficult to kick down. And we might even get hurt trying and we might even fail.

Tearing down lies.  Wow.  In order to tear down any lies, the truth must be known.  How do we properly identify a lie unless we first know the truth.  And how do we know the truth unless we are hiding it in our heart?  Filling our minds with the very Truth, the Word of God, that defines us and makes us walk in light.

What does this mean?  If I am only to compare my love of people to Christ’s love of people, how do I measure up?  Does my love of others even compare?  Would it even be safe to say that I love at all?  Or do I say that I might even hate?  Or what about no feeling at all?  Am I numb to people?  Am I indifferent to other’s situations and difficulties?  Do I love those like me with my same thoughts and ideas and talents?  Am I too busy to love?

Christ was busy, wouldn’t you say?  His entire 33 years, mind you that is only 1/3 of the life that the average human will live, was devoted to saving ALL of mankind.  And yet, He made time for people.  He made time for meals.  He made time to be present.  He made time and created opportunities to love.  Do we?  It was not obligatory for Christ to sit and eat with Zacchaeus.  He wanted to.  He changed His plans and made the opportunity.  Everywhere He went, everything He did, had purpose and intentionality.  No matter where it was.

Do we love reckless?  Or do we love with safeguards in place?  Did Christ get hurt loving us – oh yeah! We killed Him.  But was it worth it – absolutely.  And if needed, He would do it all over again.

What shadows are we shining lights in to love others?

What mountains are we climbing in order to love someone?

Who are we chasing down in order to love them?

Who are we fighting to find in order to love?

What 99 are we leaving in order to find the one that needs love?

What walls are we kicking down in order to love?

What lies are we tearing down in order to love and be love and speak love and share love?

Who needs to be loved by me?  Who needs to be loved by you?  Who needs to be loved and shown the reflection of Christ, even as my foe?  Even as my enemy?

No weapon formed against us shall prosper and God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  How far are we willing to go – to love?