Monday, March 28
2 John 5-6
. . . But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it. . .
When I looked this passage up, I used my daughter’s Bible that she uses for confirmation class. What I love about that Bible is that it offers additional insight into the various passages in the Bible—things you may not know about the background of the writer or the particular situation in which the writing takes place. For this passage, it noted that John’s nickname was the apostle of love and that even in extreme old age, when he was carried into his church, he talked of nothing else but “love one another” because he said it was the Lord’s command and that if this was all that was done, it would be enough.
That’s saying something. If we would just learn to love one another, not just in word but in deed, the world would be an enormously better place immediately. It seems so simple, but as our guest pastor Maureen stated that first Sunday after Christmas, it’s not that easy. Her challenge to our congregation that day, as I recall it, was to love someone this year whom you never thought you could. I recently reiterated that challenge to one of my daughters when discussing a classmate who was making some trouble for her. “Your challenge is to see her as God’s child, as you are, and to love her in spite of what she’s doing to you.” We talked about how to go about that and the fact that it’s a long process, in many cases. But the bottom line is that to love one another is a worthy endeavor. So get out there and love your neighbor! Walk the talk!
Margo Ban
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