Give Gratuitiously

If you have heard me write about this before, it is probably because it comes from one of my favorite passages of scripture. The passage suggests how it is that we can live as true Christians and in many ways it talks about how we can live in relationship with one another. It has been used in weddings, it has been used at funerals, and I often use it as a simple way of remembering our task.

We are called to love. You could say that it is a basic task, a basic obligation, a basic human response to our lives. Love should not be a response to something, yet a response to simply living. Love and loving abundantly should just be what we do, it should just be who we are.

Paul wrote, “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:9-12

I remember when I was a child, there was a little comic that was entitled, “Love is.” I remember them more because my sister used to cut them out of the paper each day and collect them. I guess she was in her romantic teenage years and much of what they said, spoke to her. (If she reads this – I’m not going to get much love.)

We are being most human, most Christian when we love. And yet, for so many this is one of the hardest things to do. We have to be reminded of love, we have to be taught love, we have to respond to love – yet it is just what we are supposed to be. It is a basic human sentiment. It is so basic, that Christ reminded us that there were only two things that were important – Love of God, and Love of Neighbor.

I have been thinking a lot about Love in the past few days. It is probably a good reminder for me as I read that passage from Romans, that we are called to love, and it is to be genuine and filled with passion.

Henri Nouwen, in his book, “The Inner Voice of Love,” writes:

Your love, insofar as it is from God, is permanent. You can claim the permanence of your love as a gift from God, and you can give that permanent love to others. When others stop loving you, you do not hae to stop loving them. On a human level, changes might be necessary but on the level of the divine, you can remain faithful to your love.

One day you will be free to give gratuitous love, a love that does not ask for anything in return. One day also you will be free to receive gratuitous love. Often love is offered to you, but you do not recognize it. You discard it because you are fixed on receiving it from the same person to whom you gave it.

The great paradox of love is that precisely when you have claimed yourself as God’s beloved child, have set boundaries to your love, and thus contained your needs, you begin to grow into the freedom to give gratuitously.

In many ways, this love that is given freely can only be given as a response. It is a response, not to what others have given to us, but by the love that is first given to us by God. God loves us abundantly and it is because of that love that we can love others.

I pray that you can claim that love today. Know that you are loved, not only by God but by many.

This week in worship we will continue our Lenten Series entitled, “Follow Me” when we are invited to follow Christ to the Well. I look forward to seeing you in worship this week so that you may know that you are loved gratuitously.

Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg