Love!

 

With Valentine’s Day coming up on Sunday, I thought this would be a good week to address love. But then, as I thought more about it, I realized that really, every week we pretty much address love! Love is the central theme of the Bible, so it seems fitting that we keep returning to that theme in our weekly devotional.

Last week, I was so happy to finally be able to return to MBH and resume Bible Study! I hadn’t been in that building since last March, so I was so thrilled to be able to meet with some of those kids again. Since it was a whole new group, I gave them some time to ask questions (about me, about Bible study, what we would be doing together, all of that.) After answering questions about my dog and how long I had worked there, one boy asked, “What is the Bible about?” Such a big question, but I feel like the answer really does come down to love. The Bible is about how much God loves us, and how God desires for us to love God and other people.

Even in the parts of the Bible that seem confusing or difficult, there is still an overarching theme of love. God gives us commands because of the protection that they offer. Jesus speaks in mysterious parables to help us think and grow. We learn in the Bible that when we go through difficulties in life, and experience actions that are less than loving from other people, that God will be with us and give us strength.

 Last month, I read a wonderful book called Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. It’s an entertaining novel about a group of people, but there is a quote that I can’t stop thinking about. One of the characters (a priest) is talking with her son about a difficulty that she has recently been through, and says, “God doesn't protect people from knives, sweetheart. That's why God gave us other people, so we can protect each other.”  What an amazing summation of the Christian faith!  Our job is to take care of one another, to protect one another—that is the reason that God has put us in community. We are the hands and feet of Christ, called to demonstrate God’s love to others through our actions.

During this week, the week of love, what are you doing to take care of and protect others? By nature of where we work, I would say that we are all caring for and protecting, whether you are direct care staff or in a role that ensures that our kids/staff get what they need! I’m sure you are also caring for and protecting family members, friends, and others. However, a challenge for this week is to find someone in need of a little extra care or protection—a family member, a client, a stranger—and give an extra dose of love! This may be a small act that no one else may notice, or something bigger. It may be done in secret, or it may involve a conversation, a donation, or an extra fist bump or hug. However you end up finding this calling this week, may you show the love of God to one of God’s children!