“Be Known for It”
Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34, 35. This Sunday I spoke about God’s deep, deep love for us which we are commanded to reflect to ourselves and those around us. But I am not sure the World sees God’s love reflected through the Church.
A few years back I read a book called unChristian (sic) by Kinnaman and Lyons which, with the help of the Barna Group, surveyed people 16 – 29 to discover what they thought about Christians and the Church. Perhaps it’s not surprising that we have a PR problem. This is not to say that we need to market the gospel: the gospel is truly Good News. But somehow the "Goodnews-ness" of the Gospel is not making it to the masses. Something is being lost in the translation.
According to the surveys given and reported in unChristian, we are known for, among other things, being hypocritical and judgmental. The sad thing is that we are not known for love, which is the very thing Jesus says we should be known for. But worrying about the image of the Christian Church in America is above my paygrade. I do not think we could hire a PR firm to put ads in glossy magazines or clever commercials on television to show the world how truly loving we are. This problem cannot be solved by making great pronouncements in the media.
What we need to do is simply love like Jesus loved. Love in a self-sacrificial way that defies what is normal in the culture. Think of Jesus with the woman at the well, or the woman caught in adultery, or the story of the Good Samaritan. In each of these stories, Jesus shows how His love defies the normal categories of how the culture expected love to be shown. The love with which Jesus loves is deeper, more costly and sometimes even subversive to the culture. Another book I would recommend which illustrates the extravagant, almost reckless nature of God’s love is Love Does by Bob Goff. I mentioned this at the 9:00am service this Sunday but failed to do so at the 10:30. It’s an easy read and well worth it!
The best illustration of love is the life-giving sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. That is a tough act to follow and yet is exactly what we are called to do as Jesus’ disciples. Here’s how Dostoevsky put it:
“A true act of love, unlike imaginary love, is hard and forbidding. Imaginary love yearns for an immediate heroic act that is achieved quickly and seen by everyone. People may actually reach a point where they are willing to sacrifice their lives, as long as the ordeal doesn’t last too long, is quickly over—just like on the stage, with the public watching and admiring. A true act of love, on the other hand, requires hard work and patience, and, for some, it is a whole way of life.” from Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Let’s love the way Jesus loves and someday we will be known for it!
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa.
Blessings in Christ,
Tim Grebe
Interim Director of Music Ministries
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
