Love One Another

The church gets a bad rap. Too often she gets beat up, not just by non-Christians but by Christians too!

“The church is full of hypocrites. Oh they claim to believe it, but they don’t practice what they preach…”

“Church is out of touch. They don’t have a clue what is going on in the REAL world…”

“Church is boring. They don’t sing the songs I like, the preacher is too long-winded, everyone is off-key. Seriously…”

And often those criticisms are based in fact. All of us can be hypocritical. Sometimes we are out of touch with culture and the world. Sometimes church can be a little boring. Sometimes we sing off-key. Sure, those criticisms are sometimes based in fact.

But here’s my definition of church: Church is the perfect place for imperfect people. We believe in the God who was, is, and is to come, and he is at work on each of us making us what he means for us to be. As Christians, we are under construction. As the church, we are a place where people come to be built up. Sometimes we function as a hospital, working on those who need healing. Sometimes we function as a therapy session, helping those who are hurt and broken. Sometimes we are a family dinner, a place where joys are shared and accomplishments are rejoiced over.

Ultimately, the church makes the biggest impact when we love one another. The Christian community, when it is loving one another, makes a huge impact on the world. Look at Acts 2 and Acts 4: these are people who are making a difference! This is why Jesus tells his disciples to love one another. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). So church, get to loving! Check up on one another. Encourage one another. Say more than hello to someone as you leave. Love can change the world, and it starts here with us