Reflection:
Today we are looking at the second ‘new birth’ characteristic, which is love. In 1 John 5:1 we read that “Everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.” Commentator John Christopher Thomas said: “It follows that there is no love for one without love for the other.”
For many people growing up in their physical family, they had to learn to love their siblings. Often it didn’t come easily! I remember reading about a little boy who was hugging his father’s neck. While he was hugging his father, at the same time, he was sticking out his tongue at his brother who was standing behind their father’s back.
Perfect families don’t exist. Perfect churches don’t exist. Growing up, you have to learn to love everyone in the family. So also, in the family of God.
It’s easy to dream of the perfect church community. It’s understandable to nurture such dreams. But Dietrich Bonhoeffer warns: “He who loves his dream of a church more than the church itself becomes a destroyer of the church, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.”
We need to love the church community that is real, not ideal.
Prayer:
Father, help me to learn to love your children, my sisters and brothers. You know this is hard, Lord, because they often misbehave, just like I do. Help me to love the church I belong to, made up of real people, rather than loving my dream of the church.