It sounds easy enough on the surface, to live love in action through our daily lives. We do love others, right?
Yet, I still have wonders. Why is child abuse prolific around the world, if we see Christ in the other? How do politics, finance, or social injustice become justification and catalysis to release our respectful thoughts, words, or actions which cause us to act like our opinion is the best and should be the only way to relate to other people? In board meetings, at home around the dinner table, or on the little league baseball field, why does cross talk, powering up, bullying, and belittling become an acceptable norm for communication? Why does anger, fear, and resistance dig into our psyche and enforce homocentric blinders when it comes to seeing or engaging people with different cultural experiences, languages, and theological perspectives?
It is a simple enough statement, “Love one another,” but it may be more difficult to live consistently. Henri Nouwen says, “All the great saints in history about whom I have read have been people who were so passionately in love with God that they were completely free to love other people in a deep, affective way, without any strings attached.”[1] Is this realistic? Is this an achievable goal in the twenty-first century? I believe so. And spiritual direction is one hopeful tool for engagement of this prophet way of love.[2]
The Scripture
Jesus had one priority for humanity, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:31 – 35, NRSVUE) How does Jesus love you? How does Jesus love those that are culturally different from your cultural norm? What about the oppressed, addicted, disenfranchised, arrogant, lonely, prideful, how does Jesus love these folks?
Jesus gives us one action to do among humanity. That is to make love visible, concrete, and tangible to all people through our actions, words, mannerism, behaviors, and nonverbal cues. If we do this, Jesus said, then everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Verse 35) My wonder is, how are we, how are you, how am I, how are the nations, and neighborhoods around the globe doing?
Today’s Prayer Practice
Today is a review and a projection of love in action through your life. Spend time in contemplative prayer with the picture for this blog, the stepping stones. As you pray, consider how you have lived love in action through the past ten days. After you review the past ten days of your life through your intentional acts of love engaging others through your behaviors, word, etc. Consider creating an intentional plan for love in action for the next ten days. You may desire to use the black and white template below to write your plan for living love in action for the next ten day. Write one action or attitude on each stepping stone. When you are completed, offer your work and prayer to God dedicating your intentions and seeking God’s foundational support to live as Jesus loves you.
Enjoy praying.
[1] Henri Nouwen. 2021. Passionately in Love with God. Daily Meditation, October 20, 2021, Henri Nouwen Society <email_lists@henrinouwen.org> accessed October 20, 2021.
[2] Brenda Buckwell. 2022. Spiritual Direction for the Sake of Others. Unpublished manuscript.
