But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another.
(2 John 1.5 NRSV)
The essence of Christian faith is love. Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so ought we to lay down our lives for others. That means loving all people  even those who misuse us, and that means doing good to all people  even those whom we may not approve of, and that means leaving our comfort zone from time to time for acts of extraordinary concern. The essence of Christian faith is love.

Love is our primary witness to the world. If the day comes when the Christian church is as loving as its Master, the world will beat a path to our door. John asks, "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" Love is more than just an emotion or a feeling. Love is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned. Love is not a passive verb, but an active one. And it is the primary way we share Christ with the world.

Dear God, help me to have an active love that truly touches the lives of those who really need it. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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