Love

"The Jesus in me loves the Jesus in you - So easy, so easy, so easy to love"

When I was serving this summer in Denison this chorus was sung every Sunday. At the time I didn't really think much about it, but as I've been in the second half of my supervised ministry class this semester we've been discussing how we abuse the term "love". Friends, love is not easy. Not at all. That's not even getting to the question - what exactly is the "Jesus in me and you" since so many Christians disagree.

Love is often confused for fake appeasement in our culture. When we plaster on a smile for church is that love? Or is love getting our hands dirty, in the dark places in life. Is it walking with someone through the valley of the shadow of death Or pretending that death does not exist?

Oh love where is your fire? A refining fire that burns away impurities as we move towards perfection. This type of love is not comfortable or even always happy, and cannot be reduced to the simplistic idea of a heart. This love bleeds and hurts and is the love we are called to as Christians. And that, is never easy. But easy is not best.