Love the Sinner, the Sick, the Broken ...
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“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
– Matthew 22:36-40
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35
Turn to a news channel, or open a social media app, and you’re pitted against something, whether it’s a product, a program, a group, a person—it could even be a sports team. We are negatively influenced, forced to look at the world and its people in a half-empty state. The sinful world is front and center, and it’s clear no one on social media has a problem pointing fingers and saying ugly things to those they feel are not in line with their views. These things would never be said to someone standing next to them in a checkout line at a grocery store or sitting next to them at a doctor’s office, but online, it’s a free place to spew evil and where the enemy is winning.
Because he is winning here.
It’s my belief the devil’s sitting back, loving every minute of watching us sin online and on apps, sometimes without us even realizing it. Because we are clearly not doing what Jesus says is the second greatest commandment—‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:40). And says additionally, what He calls His new commandment, in John 13:34, “Love one another.”
Love the sinner, the sick, the broken…
Love those who don’t live like you, those who didn’t grow up like you, those who don’t look like you, those who actively speak out against your values… yes, even them.
To not love them, meaning to not show them kindness, gentleness, respect, and self-control, is a sin in God’s eyes. So there are millions of Christians sinning every day.
Stand up to the devil and his schemes. Don’t let him fool you into thinking you have to say something online (or even think) that you wouldn’t if you were face-to-face with that person. Don’t let the devil pit us against one another, push us to constant beratement of one another through every source of media, and nudge us to this public hatred of groups and people. For some of us, myself included, this means getting offline, because I want to be known as someone who is loving and kind and gentle in spirit. Truth is important, but must fall on fertile ground, made fertile through loving-kindness…
Let us choose to turn from sin and live out the second great and the new commandment from God: To love one another. Truly. Madly. Deeply. So that then, our world could begin to heal.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Did you feel a tug realizing you may have been sinning online and need to repent and make adjustments to better love others from now on?
2. Do you need to remove yourself from spaces where the enemy is tempting you to not show love to your neighbor? What does it look like practically for you?
