Optional Love?

Remember the country music song about "Looking for love in all the wrong places"? As sad as that is, it's not as sad as someone who doesn't even look for love. There is no bigger theme in all of the Bible than love. It's God, it's why He made us, why He sacrificed and saved us, and the single most important thing He wants us to understand and grow in. It defines us, drives us, guides us, and judges us. How can so many people read so much scripture so many times and still never see the preeminence of love. It's not something we do - it's what we are - how we look at each other - how we know we know Him - it's our worship. There is nothing more important, no activity more required, and no quality more desired by God. How many times do we have to hear God say that EVERYTHING is summed up, hanging onto, and subordinate to loving Him and one another before we "get it"? Since God is love and the only way we can learn love is to love one another, there is no other way to know God and be like God.

We attended the Muny on Monday night and saw Les Miserables. What a powerful play. The story is so compelling and every piece of music and lyric so dramatic that it has to be one of the greatest musicals ever. As one who is fascinated by lyrics/wording - a phrase from the closing number jumped out at me. "When you love someone, you have seen the face of God." That is not an overstatement. It's exactly what John says in 1 John 4:11-12. Loving one another - THE REASON GOD TOLD US TO GET TOGETHER - gives us the only opportunity to know God. It's not about the place, the time, the rituals, or the correct pattern! It's about growing in love and therefore growing in God! It's time to start looking for love in all the right places!