The call to love. Jesus emphasized over and over again that the most important thing or doctrine that we should place over every other (the first and greatest commandment) is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as Christ has loved you."
We have all heard that our entire lives growing up in church. It seems like a no brainer, most people think they get it. I don't think we get it at all. This is a call to unconditional love. A love that is not helped back by different doctrines or belief systems. Jesus' love is not based upon your performance or your theology. He loves because it is who he is and he has called us to do the same.
Imagine for a moment that churches loved each other like they love and show kindness to their own denomination. If we are called to love and bless our enemies, surely you would expect we are meant to bless our own brothers. Jesus said if you hate your brother you live in death. Far out... I think there is a lot of people living in a place of death. I think a lot of the body of Christ right now is living in death and proud of it.
Why do churches split? Denominations divide? Theology, sin and around human nature. The thing is if we are called to unconditional love and to bless even our enemies. Our love to our brothers should be unchanged even if they have different thoughts on the end times, gay marriage, or whatever. You are post-modern you may think... nope. The responsibility is to love no matter what theology people have. Is truth important? Yes, truth is to be pursued, that is Jesus. But at the end of the day, the pursuit of knowledge and truth does not take away from the first and greatest commandment... To LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."
The Lord is saying that knowledge with out love is meaningless. Even if you fathom all mysteries (if you have the understanding of God himself) and do not love like we have been called to... If love isn't our priority, we are nothing... harsh? I don't think so. I think it is just a reflection of God's priority to love his creation and for us as believers to do the same. For so long the church has been focused on being right, fathoming the mysteries, understanding prophecy eg. end times that has lead to many church splits and much division. Imagine, if the doctrine... the truth that we held closest to us was the one that Jesus told us to... the call and responsibility of the believer to show unconditional love.
How awesome would it be if the Church was known for its love for one another like Jesus prayed. I didn't see him praying that the church would be known for its correct eschatology, doctrine or theology.
Currently listening to: Sleeping Giant - These Streets Don't Lie
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