“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
A clear identity of who follows is someone that loves, that’s according to Christ himself. This scripture refers to what should a Christian community look like – a community that is filled with love by valuing one another, respecting one another, encouraging one another, teaching one another in gentleness. That despite the imperfection of the community, kindness remain, forgiveness is given, restoration matters, hope and faith aflame all for the sake of love.
The Lord Jesus Christ impart this to us, his very body which is the church (the people). He showed us unconditional love and so we are ought to follow what Christ demonstrated by showing love, even when it is hard, even when we think people don’t deserve love, because that’s the kind of love that Christ showed us, we don’t deserve it either but was give out of mercy and grace.
For today’s daily bread, may we be encouraged as people who are part of a Christian community, we the church, to go back to the call of God in our lives and that is to show love, so that the world will know that we are Christ’s. And by expressing love to one another, may this shed a light to those who are in need of the love Christ from the outside, the day-to-day people that we meet, that they may question our capacity to love, who gave this kind of love to us, that they may know Christ and lead them to a life of surrender and repentance.
