Love

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil.

For you are with me;

Your rod and staff comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This is a wonderful declaration of our God’s love and his provision for us that most children learn early on in Sunday School.  It is often read and quoted without thought despite the noblest intentions.  As I noted in my earlier entries, I really want to focus on community and what it looks like to love.  I think too often we claim to love people, without loving them at all.  We merely have an interest in them and what they can offer us.  I’ve brought it up before, but this interest in others is not community, it is affinity.   Should a Biblical community not serve one another in the same way as our Lord serves us?  It is with this, that I think it beneficial to consider Psalm 23 as a way we are called to love.  Do we really love?

Do we do all in our power to make sure those around us are not in need or want?  Are we really a friend to others if we do not even want to try to care for them abundantly?  It is not enough to say we are there; we must be there, pursuing and loving despite the discomfort and difficulty.  My God comforts me despite my attempts to refuse him, providing in great excess and bringing me great joy.  Do we do that for others, or allow them to help us?  Do we give wise counsel, or seek it?  How often do we make life good for others?  And what about those we say we love? 

We will fall short, but that is certainly no reason to give up.  We will turn others away, but we can’t use that as an excuse to keep them far.  We should be repenting to one another, doubling our efforts to love those we claim to love.  Shouldn’t we be the most free around them?  The more we love, the more our desire should be to treat them as our Lord treats us.  We cannot get down on ourselves for failing and shirk the responsibility that comes with love.  Rather, we must be upright and true.  If we cannot do that, we do not love.  I hope we all will consider the way we love and desire others and treat them right.