Love in Action

50 years ago today, the Beatles released their first record, 'Love me do'. Later, they returned to the theme of love, with 'Money can't buy me love' and 'All you need is love'. But there is no surprise that pop songs should be about love. 

What pop songs may mean by 'love', and what the Bible speaks about, when it talks of love, are mostly different!

The old apostle, St. John, writes from his base near Ephesus, to the churches that he has had responsibility for, encouraging them to live out the command of Jesus, 'Love one another'.

He is intensely practical, showing how God's very character is expressed in his action to love people. 'God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.' (1 John 4.9-10)

Once we know that this is what God has done for us, we may wish to love God in return. The initiative to love always starts with God's care for us. But if we know we are loved, then we cannot keep away from active love for other. 'Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.' (1 John 4.11-12)

John is very practical, as he gives us an example of what love in action might look like. 'We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?' (1 John 3.16-17)

We sometimes excuse our inaction over some matter, by saying, 'It's the thought that counts'. St. John would tell us that that is rubbish. People in need don't need thoughts, they need active compassion.

For our Harvest Festival on Sunday, while we will have the chance to bear witness to God's love and care towards us, we will also, as usual, have the chance to bring some Harvest gifts, so that we may share these with people in need. After our service, we will put together some Harvest boxes, to take to elderly and house-bound members from our church, to the York Road Project and the Salvation Army. Please bring mostly non-perishable items.

Best wishes,

Richard