This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12
From an early age, our parents and teachers teach us to be a friend to others. I can remember hearing my mom tell me, “To have a friend, you have to be a friend.” I’m pretty sure there are no more perfect and instructive comments for today’s climate and culture, which is on display for the world to witness thanks to 24-hour coverage of the events in multiple cities. The recent events in different major cities across the United States are a reflection of the dysfunction and breakdown of simple instructions given to us from Scripture.
Whether you are a Christ-follower or not, God’s instruction could be no more explicit. He stated it as a commandment and as something we should follow. It is the most simple and most challenging task to complete. He said, “love one another as I have loved you.” Loving others is not a love that is selfish or self-serving. It is not a love that draws attention to itself or boasts in attitude. It is not a love that seeks its own good. Instead, it is a selfless, forgiving, investing, cherishing, caring, and compassionate love that looks past differences.
When Jesus gave this command, He knew it would be challenging to accomplish, and that’s why I believe it was a command rather than a suggestion. Jesus did not place any conditions on the love we give towards others. Jesus died for those people like us who are living in constant rebellion against Him. Why would He do that? Because of His deep and forgiving love.
So if you are a Christ-follower today, you have no choice but to obey His words. “Love on another because I loved you.”
Loving one another is hard because of our differences
I’m not going to lie. There is a bunch of hate in our society right now, and the horrific death of George Floyd may have been the tipping point for most people. We see different sides wrestling out their feelings over societal and institutional racism, which is a direct result of failing to follow Jesus’ command to us. But it is hard. We are different. We do have different worldviews based on our past and current experiences. The truth is that we are probably more diverse than we are alike. But our differences make reconciliation that much more a miracle when it happens.
I remember growing up with friends. I didn’t have black friends and white friends. I had friends. But society likes to place us into boxes based on our skin color and differences. One race is proclaimed more highly than others, while at the same time, it is expected to understand the plight of those who are different from us. Whoever us is, we should attempt to understand others amid our differences. So yeah, loving others is difficult because we are different. But it isn’t impossible.
We should love others as Christ loved us. How did he love us? He died for us and paid the ultimate price for us. His love was selfless, and He did not consider ethnicity when dying on the cross for our sins.
This is the way we are to love others. Can you do it? Whatever side you are on in this struggle of wills, we are commanded to place our views aside and love despite our differences.
Loving is hard because of our indifference
This indifference is perhaps more dangerous than merely overcoming our differences. Indifference equals sticking your head in the sand, and supposing nothing is wrong with our society. If our heads are in the sand, we cannot possibly see the destruction of relationships, which are a fundamental necessity in our society. For us to function, we need to experience quality and growing relationships.
Simply saying that something isn’t happening doesn’t make it true. If we are honest with ourselves, indifference only takes us so far. At some point, we must ask the question, “Do I love others as Christ loved me?” If that isn’t true, then something has to change.
Yes, what happened to George Floyd was a horrific example of the worst of society. And yes, throwing bricks and glass bottles at the police officers charged with maintaining a sense of order and law in the streets of our country are also examples of the worst of society. So, where does it all end? How does it end?
Some would say it doesn’t exist. Some would display indifference. But the real answer to our problems is first to understand how and why Jesus loves us and what that looks like. He demonstrated the behavior we should show by giving His life for others.
Would you be able to do that? Are you doing that, or are you indifferent to it? Will you commit today to examine your own heart before condemning others?