There are times in life when we really need the perspective of an expert. These are invaluable people that help us understand a particular circumstance or situation. And thankfully there are people out there who are experts on all sorts of issues that we can take advantage of.
When it comes to the issue of love, there may be experts out there somewhere, but we are reluctant to put to much trust in anyone in particular. We are often skeptical that anyone really has a grasp on the width and depth of the profound issues we wrestle with when it comes to love and relationships. We think that other people are generally very similar to us when it comes to life and love. They might be able to give us advice but we more than likely could give them advice for their equally messed up thinking about love and relationships. And frankly, we are probably right.
No one has it all together when it comes to love, except God Himself. However, there are some people who have ‘absorbed’ a signifiant amount of God into their head and heart. These people are worth their weight in gold. These people have learned through the years of life and matured in a way that makes them a profoundly important resource. That is why we have decided to check out what the “apostle of love” has to say about the issue. He had the unique privilege of walking with Jesus for three years day-in and day-out. He is someone that evidently was profoundly impacted and changed by his relationship with Jesus. Somehow he came to the place of understanding that love is actually the defining quality of a follower of Jesus. He seems to have come to the place where love had become a reality with depth, and width, and substance that deals with the deepest fractures of the human heart.
In the contemporary world in which we live, we are in desperate need of understanding what the apostle John learned and lived out in his life. We live in a profoundly violent and divided world. Taking sides has become the norm. Digging trenches for battle seems to be the chosen strategy. Abandoning our posts for safer positions seems reasonable. Turning our backs on others is excused. Shame drives us to isolation. Blaming, lying, protecting…this has become average. All these are instead of choosing love, love that works through the hard issues of life and offers an integration of truth and grace. The apostle John understood our dilemma. Let us continue to learn from his experience in the weeks to come.
Yours,
Kevin