"Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." 1 Corinthians 8:1-3
This statement is at the core of Christianity: that to love is to have a connection with God.
Just imagine this: we can wander all over the place with our books, our fancy language, our writings, our pens and pencils, our markers, our gilded pages, but we cannot be faithful without being loving. And, just as Paul explains a little further down this chapter, we need to show our love not only to God, but also to all those around us.
We are currently living in the aftermath of schism after schism, dogmatic disagreement after another. As humans, we have made great strides in fracturing the body of Christ. The only way we can bring it all together is by acting in God, acting in Love. And that's exactly what love does: edify.
Politicians, out of fear of losing votes, separate themselves from their fellow politicians by using hateful rhetoric. Even in the United States, where two parties dominate the political landscape, different candidates for different offices will attack each other in very nasty ways just to bring in more votes, or to take away votes from another person in the same party. Hate divides us.
Let Lent be a season for reflection on how to bring love back into the church, because God only knows how much we need it. We need to reach across the aisles, as some churches do during the Lord's prayer or during the peace. We need to be the embodiment of God's love in this present world.
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