Taught to Love

Please read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. (I Thessalonians 4:9-10)

I often think about being a parent.  My husband and I have two adult sons, and even though they are 31 and 29 years old, we will always be their parents. They are so different from each other, but they are both loving and kind men. We’re proud of them and blessed by them. 

How do children learn how to love? I hope our sons learned love by being loved by us, and by witnessing how the adults in their lives loved each other. I think about children who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as child abuse, neglect, violence, or an unstable home, and the potential outcome of these experiences, such as negative impacts on brain development, health, and an inability to form lasting relationships. 

I am struck by what Paul wrote to the Church in Thessalonica: “you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.” Imagine that. Taught to love by God. Paul could have written this about us. We – you and I - have been taught by God to love one another. God created us, God sent Jesus to us to teach us about life and love. God offers us grace and forgiveness – love, made concrete. We know how to love because God loves us. 

Why is this important? God doesn’t just love us so that we will feel loved. God loves us because there are children in the world who don’t know what love is. There are people around us who are hungry – every day, all the time. There are brothers and sisters in our communities who are crying, suffering, mourning, fighting addiction, struggling to live. God loves us so that we will be loving. 

This fall, our Foundation hosted an Academy of Faith and Generosity. The main speaker, Ann Michel, told a story about her church. The Church owned and operated two homeless shelters.  Someone asked Ann if the church members were trying to convert the people who sought shelter to Christianity.  She said, “No, we’re trying to be Christians.”

How will you be a loving Christian today?

Prayer: Loving God, teach us to love so that we will share your love with everyone. Forgive us when we forget – when we offer judgment and scorn, and lead us to replace those with love.  In your son’s name, Amen.