Being channels for God’s love lies at the core of our faith, from its earliest times. Peter reminded the religious authorities that the apostles were able to heal because of the teaching, the courage to care, and the Holy Spirit shared with them by Jesus. They are following his dictum to share God’s love, even in the face of persecution. God’s love needs human connectional channels. God’s love needed the channel of Jesus, so we experienced God’s love in a human form and called him Christ and teacher. God’s love needs the channel of … us. It is a bit like a holy circulatory system, isn’t it? Sometimes channeling God’s love is in the wonderful things I mentioned for a time of need – flowers, cards, food and company. Sometimes it is silent, as much as we hear about love in action.
To carry the special love of God to others takes courage. In this world of secular powers, in politics and business,
we followers of Jesus know that the power of God is greater – the power to work change through love. And
we know love by this, that Jesus laid down his life for us–and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.(1 Jn 3:16). Cards, flowers, email and ginseng chicken may not sound like laying down our lives unto death, but they
are laying down God’s love for one another. God’s love gives our lives meaning. And the willingness to die is a willingness to die to ourselves and any exclusive focus on our own desires and happiness. This is preaching the gospel in how we live – or as I have sometimes heard it: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
Pastor Carol
