What's Going On? Just Love

What’s Going On? Just Love - August 27, 2024

Well, having stated that there is an upcoming series on 1 Corinthians 13 that will last 8 weeks this fall has got people’s attention. Most verbalized responses were some version of “It will take you 8 weeks to do that one chapter?” I think if someone else had made the announcement I would have a similar retort.

Let me give some background. Over the years (starting in the 1980’s before I was in seminary) I have had many conversations in which people said, “well we can’t just love!” Meanwhile my ongoing interpretation of the Bible and pastoral experience led me to the conviction that the Bible was first and foremost about love. So, on September 8, I will begin the series with the last words of 1 Corinthians 12 “and now I will show you the most excellent way.” The message will attempt to show that this most excellent way is a very consistent biblical message of love.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that anyone who has said “we can’t just love” was being hateful. To a person they were well-meaning and concerned about the community of faith living well into God’s way. My thesis is that perhaps the words were spoken with a different understanding of what love means. We tend to use love to mean soft, easy-going, and everything-goes. The biblical use of love in key passages is the Greek word “agape” which I want to suggest hints at a just love. The word “just”, as you know, is used to mean “merely” but also to mean right or righteous. The hope is that as we walk through 1 Corinthians 13 (the great love chapter) we will learn that to just love people calls us to love justly and to love justice. That is what Just Love is all about.

So why 8 weeks? Won’t we get the idea in a week or two? Intellectually, we will. However, our discipleship journey is about forming new ways of thinking, new habits, and a renewed commitment to loving God and our neighbour. That kind of journey takes a lifetime of which 8 weeks is just a passing moment.

Finally, this series and this message is very important to me. I think it is essential teaching.  I hope it shapes everything we do. I will do my best to talk in a way that shows that I understand where people are coming from and will try to represent any different ways of thinking respectfully. That said, if you differ with me or are disturbed by something I say, please come talk about it with me. This has been a long journey for me so far and I am convinced there is more to learn. Let’s walk this way together.     Pastor Erick