In my opinion, the greatest challenge to Christianity in America today comes down to one word:  Love.

We struggle with it, we avoid it, we avoid the very challenge of it, because it is universal.  It is not just loving those who love us.  Jesus says even the worst sinners can do that.  But it is loving people – and letting God love us when we are at our worst.

Loving others is a threat. A threat to our self-determination, a threat to our independence, a threat to our sin.  It is uncomfortable, for it demands that we sacrfice ourselves, before we realize that in that sacrifice, we find ourselves fulfilled.  Loving others is not a command of law, where our failure brings condemnation.  Loving others is a command of gospel – wherein we find the deepest levels of grace, and the greatest fulfillment.  Even so, it is difficult.

But that is where God’s love comes into play.  He doesn’t allow us to wallow in our sin, to hide in our independence, and self-determination and self centeredness.  He invades our life, calling us to a transformation that comes from being in His presence.  We can try and run from our relationship with Him, as Jonah ran from the people God called him to love- to love by sacrificing his life that they would know God’s love and mercy.  Even so, we are much better off in every way by receiving the love He invades with, the love that He invades by.

Don’t avoid His love – it will make loving the others He has brought into our lives so much easier!