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I believe we don’t need more love but more lovers.
Love
is the most misused and misunderstood word in the world. We use it everywhere
and anywhere without much thought of what it means.
When
someone says “God Loves You” what does that mean? What does it mean to someone
who has never known love or has never come to appreciate who God is? Love has
to be understood in the context of a relationship, or else it’s just another
excuse for whatever we want to get into or avoid.
We
talk of love, but we don't practice it. If only we understood what it means,
the world would be a lot better. The world needs more tangible love than
conceptual love. Love lived out rather than love discussed and reflected upon.
If I have intentions of loving my wife, my family, my colleagues but they don’t
experience it in my dealing with them, then my love is a waste. A world full of
real lovers is all everybody wants.
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Everywhere,
we hear of unfortunate incidences committed by human beings. It makes me
realize how much a human being can be worse than an animal. Do the unthinkable
to a fellow human being. The recent death of the young female student in Rongo
University is heartbreaking. How can a human being decide to end the life of another,
and worse still a pregnant woman? I imagine, was she drugged, forced, beaten,
or how did it happen. Was she screaming for help? The killer, did he assume her
screams and pretended to be doing something else? Did they look her in her face
as they turned into beasts to end her young life including the fetus? It
continues to disturb me to see how human beings can stoop too low and do such a
thing to a fellow human being. We have so many unfortunate incidences all over
the world.
But how do we get to that point?
What happens that we decide to hate someone so much to the point of doing away
with them? If only we would at the same breadth show love with that energy we
use to hate, the world would be a much better place. Nelson Mandela in his book
Long Walk to Freedom says "No one is born hating another person because of the color
of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and
if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” I totally agree with him. How do we teach
each other how to love?
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Maybe you have
never really done something so bad to someone. But Jesus has some harsh words
to follow. Allow me to paraphrase them here," You have
heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders
will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that
anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone
who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ fool, stupid, good for nothing and all those
words we say in our heads about those we don’t like, will be subject to the
Sanhedrin, or hell.
This is a hard teaching from Jesus - the best
example of a lover. He came to show us how to love. But he assures us that all
things are possible to him who believes. If you believe in love, then it’s
possible to show love.
God is love, and he who lives in love lives in God.
Not who discusses and talks about it. It's not about who knows about it. It’s
who lives in it. Living in something means you become it. You demonstrate it.
You are known for it and by it.
But how do you love those who you have a feeling are
unlovable? Those who don’t appreciate your love? By our own imaginations and thoughts,
it doesn’t make sense, but with God all things are possible. The understanding
that God is love is very vital in showing love to the unlovable or people who
are difficult to love. Once you believe in that statement “God is Love,” it’s no
longer about you, it’s about yielding to God’s love and let Him show you how to
love them. Don’t start using your human ability and mind to comprehend how to
love them. Ask God, who is love, gives love, teaches love, and demonstrates
love to show you how to love.
Do you have people in your life that you struggle to
love? What are you planning to do about it? When will you do something about
it? Whether you like it or not, you will have to do something about it. You can
choose to do it now rather than later because you are never sure how much time
you or they have. You also don’t want to live a wasted life because of someone
else. Do something if you can, when you can!
If this resonates with
you, go ahead to evaluate you the way you live out love. Look for a small
community of friends who you can do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few.
It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey of
giving love legs and feet. You have to
be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this
journey. You have to create a support, encouragement and accountability
platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that
there is active engagement by all involved.
Find
a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you.
By Gabriel Achayo.
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