Good day dear friends. Live from Tampa, Florida, as the 2012 General Conference winds down. Much has happened, some are pleased, some are not. Do your own reading and decide for yourself.
Our text for today is this coming Sunday's Epistle reading from 1 John 4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (NRSV)
I know I've shared this story before, but I pray it's been some time since, so you can share it with those who have never heard it. A young couple, deeply (I started to say "madly") in love, go to lunch to talk about their upcoming marriage. She brings along her childhood Bible so that they can together find a verse that best describes the love and perhaps put it on their wedding cake. They find the verse found above, verse 18, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts our fear." After lunch she goes to have coffee with her mother. The mom weeps with joy and the napkin on which they scribbled the verse is later given to the baker. When the big day arrives the ceremony goes off without a hitch, a beautiful event. When they get to the reception hall, as they are led to the cake the bride breaks down in tears for the smeared napkin given to the baker resulted in his going to John 4:18 which reads, "for you have had five husband, and the one you have now is not your husband." I don't know if that is a true story or not, but the message from John is true and perfect, we must be people of love.
We are recipients of God's perfect love and it is that sort of love we must share. The Church is the only place where agape, unconditional, love should be shared with people. The more we show love, the more people will see God. And the verse mentioned in the joke above is perhaps the most telling; as a Church we should show a love that has no fear. Do we? Or do we make ministry and program decisions based on fear more than love? Many are the churches that say they cannot do this or that because they do not have the money. What they really don't have is perfect love; they have plenty of fear. What we should show is the love for all people, claiming and living in love with all people even those who do not look nor speak like us.
PRAYER: Loving God, as we prepare for Sunday, prepare us for today. Let us know that today is the day in which we can receive and share perfect love, the love without fear. Help us to trust You more and love You and Yours more; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
