Today is February 14th, a day traditionally dedicated to celebrating love and friendship. Whether Valentine’s Day resonates with you or not, may LOVE fill your heart and bring you peace
A few thoughts on LOVE…
LOVE is at the heart of the Christian story.
God is LOVE (1John 4:8, 16). God approaches, engages, and responds to humanity—indeed, to all of creation—with LOVE. This means that everything God is and does is LOVE. More than that, God is recognisable by LOVE.
Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century theologian, gave us one of the most memorable and accurate definitions of LOVE when he wrote, ‘To love is to will the good of the other.’ In other words, LOVE is a state of selfless, unconditional affection and concern for the well-being and growth of another. LOVE is not about me or my satisfaction but about the ‘other’—their flourishing and blessing.
So when we say, ‘God is LOVE,’ we are affirming that God is being and acting for the benefit of all creation so we can grow to the fullness of our humanity, that we too might LOVE with compassion, empathy, and selflessness.
How can we know what God is like? A great question, but the answer is actually quite straightforward. If we want to know the nature of God, we can look at Jesus Christ, meditate on his life and teaching, and we come to know the loving nature of God. God’s LOVE is revealed in Jesus Christ.
In Jesus we see the LOVE of God in action…compassion, empathy, kindness, mercy, forgiveness … peace.
In Jesus we see that God’s LOVE is unconditional…unbounded, limitless, powerful, healing and transformative.
The life of Jesus is the LOVE of God expressed. Jesus reaches out to the lowly, the meek, the outsiders, the rejected, the sinners, and sick, and the disturbed with compassion, and kindness. Jesus demonstrates the LOVE of God in the radical welcome and inclusion of those who are different.
Jesus holds relentlessly to LOVE, even in the face of death. The opposition He faced—leading to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion—stemmed from humanity’s inability to receive and accept LOVE. Yet, even in death, Jesus demonstrates LOVE, forgiving and blessing those around Him.
The resurrection of Jesus is a profound expression of God’s LOVE. LOVE is God’s ‘super-power’—it gives life. In fact, that’s how we recognise LOVE: it creates, sustains, and brings life and peace.
The LOVE of God in Jesus Christ is for you … for you and not against you.
To be saved is to live day-by-day in the LOVE of God … saved from sins, addictions, failures, self-destructive habits … saved from everything that makes us act and be less than we are created to be … the beloved and loving children of Father God.
The LOVE of God expressed in Jesus works for justice. Justice is the reconciliation of all things—righting wrongs, healing wounds, rectifying inequity, and ending conflict—all motivated and empowered by LOVE.
The LOVE of God expressed in Jesus is uncontrolling. The desire to control stems from fear, not love. Jesus reveals that God never forces or coerces anyone against their will. God’s LOVE is fundamentally non-violent—strong yet gentle. It is a constant, relentless, and faithful movement toward collaboration, dialogue, mutuality, and partnership, all aimed at reconciling creation to God and one another.
We’re now just over 1/12 through the year – time flies when you’re having fun! If you set yourself goals for this year, how are they going? Have you done anything towards them yet?
At Evesham Baptist Church we are still developing lots of plans for the year, but have kicked off a series of reflections on Mark’s Gospel which we are looking at as part of our regular church services up to Easter. Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels in the New Testament of the bible, presenting a fast-paced overview of the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as his death and resurrection. Looking at the Gospel of Mark, we are focusing on Jesus’ power, his compassion and the cross – and what these things mean for us in our day to day lives.
One of the areas we’ve already covered is how Jesus was there for everyone – the rich, the poor, the disadvantaged, the sick, those seeking forgiveness, and the everyday people. The call to follow him was universal. Mark’s Gospel shows how Jesus stood out from the crowd and challenged the thinking of the day. Wherever you are on your journey of faith, we’d love you to join us as we continue to explore the life and teaching of Jesus.
If you would like to catch up with the areas we’ve covered so far, you can find a recording of the messages within the ‘sermons’ section of our website – or for easy reference use the links below. So far we have looked at:
Why not come along on a Sunday and find out more? Wherever you are in your life, you can be assured of a warm welcome. You don’t need to be familiar with church protocols or traditions – we are very informal and a friendly bunch. Our Sunday services are at 10.30am and finish by 12pm with tea, coffee and cakes. Come and see for yourself.
