Church Sign of the week 18

Church sign of the week 18

What's love got to do with it?

Well, this might be a short blog post as this question has a one word answer...

EVERYTHING.

Do I need to go on? Since I like the sound of my own voice (or the look of my own typing in this case) I will, allow me to elaborate a little.

The Bible has a lot to say about love. There are at least 280 references to love in there. From Paul's great description (that you have heard at almost every wedding you've been to) to Jesus' greatest commandment - Love the LORD your God with all you heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. Love is used loads of times in the Good Book.

Why is love such a central theme? Why does God and Jesus and everyone else seem bang on about it so much? Why should it be the core of every Christian and every church?

Why? Well THE most important thing the Bible say about love is this: "God IS love." (1 John 4 v 8).

Let me say that again in bold with various highlights so you don't miss it -

GOD IS LOVE

Is doesn't come much plainer than that. There is no hesitation, no subtle language that could be mis-interpreted, no vagueness at all. Simply put, elegantly stated, easily read but often forgotten - God is love.

At the core of everything God does (and by association everything every Christian should do and every Church church should do) is this basic concept - God is love. In fact this chapter in 1 John goes on about love a lot more. It mentions the fact that God is love not once but twice (just to make sure we didn't miss it first time). If you read this blog you will have seen (last time) that a friend of mine left me speechless - she said, "All I see in the church is hate and all I read in the Bible is love." Well to all those haters, those small minded bigots who try to paint God on far too small a canvas may I draw your attention to 1 John chapter 4 and verse 20 -

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

You are liars; tiny minded, bigoted liars who cannot love God. And that's not my words that's what God says - you are so fond of quoting scripture to try and justify your little views let me use your own methods to make this point. Here is one part of the Bible you don't seem to have read yet (or if you have you seem to have forgotten) - "Whoever claims to love God yet hates......is a liar." So put down your "God hates fags", your "White God: White Church" and your "Women should be seen and not heard" banners and pick up your (obviously) dusty Bible and turn to 1 John 4 and read what you should be like. Then join us in trying to live as God wants us to, a life of love towards ALL others.

So, when Ms. Turner asked, "What's love got to do with it?" she didn't expect a one word answer - but here it is:

EVERYTHING!