3 posts tagged “love”
I took a walk this afternoon because the weather is just so fantabulous, and in my walk I heard several reminders of why the church has a long way to go when it comes to showing the love of Jesus to others, so they in turn can practice it in their own lives.
On my walk, I heard a mom and daughter arguing in their house (windows open is why I could hear; I'm not a stalker), a family sitting in their front yard yelling at their child to quit riding his bike for some undisclosed reason. Three different houses in our neighborhood have some late teens, early twentysomethings living in them, and the language pouring out of there wasn't for anyone under the age of... well, it really wasn't for anyone to hear.
Sure, this isn't a sign that the world is coming to an end by any means, but none of this was spoken out of love for others. It's selfishness, guilt, pride, and unchecked emotions that some adults don't know how to deal with, let alone the children they're yelling at.
What did that Beatle say? "All we need is love..."
Today's reading is from John 13. This is after Jesus has washed the disciples' feet. Judas has already left to go get the guards to arrest Jesus.
34-35"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."
What more needs said?
The headline for this article over at the NY Daily Times is Can I hug my son's killer, mom asks judge. While it's a good read, this particular paragraph resonated with me:
The judge said he couldn't allow any contact with the defendant. Birkett-Johnson (the mother of the victim) told the Daily News later she wanted the young man to know he can change the direction of his life.
I remember a story about a Jewish boy who wouldn't do his studies. Finally, the mother of the boy took him to the local Rabbi, who was considered a very wise man, hoping he could somehow show the boy the error of his ways. The Rabbi simply held the boy close, so close that the boy could feel the beating of the Rabbi's heart. The next day, the boy began doing what he was supposed to be doing, and became a great Rabbi himself.
Sometimes we just need to feel where a person's heart is at to know that things can be different. Ms. Birkett-Johnson obviously knows this. We could all learn alot from her.
