Radical Love

 Some people are easy to love. Others are more of a challenge.

With Ottawa snarled for a third week of occupation by protesters, tempers on both sides of this issue have grown very short. Yes, I live in Ottawa, so this is not some far off difficulty that can be easily shuffled to the backburner of my mind. My son has had to leave his apartment to escape the constant din of blaring horns. Yesterday, I was delayed in traffic on my way to church due protesters and police blockades. The airwaves are filled with anger and frustration.

But it's not just a local issue, our country, and our churches and families are deeply divided over vaccines and pandemic measures.

In times such as this, I feel Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount have a great deal of relevance. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48). 

Well, Jesus, you certainly are calling us to a higher level of love. At times, all I want to do is hunker down and take pot shots at those who disagree with my position. But how much will that accomplish? It only tends to harden the opposition while I stew in anger.

Can I be a bridge builder? Can I keep communication open between opposing factions? That's a far bigger challenge. Jesus also said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9, NIV).

This past Saturday evening, I officiated at the wedding of a beautiful young couple. Joy was on their faces. Love was in their hearts. I left the wedding celebration with my faith and hope renewed.

As for those whom we find hard to love, let's take up Jesus' call to radical love. Despite pandemics, protests and vaccine mandates, “these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Let's all try some radical love. On this Valentine's Day, it's far better than the alternatives.

David Kitz is the chair of the board of The Word Guild.
His most recent book series is "Psalms Alive: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer". 

The Dead of Winter and the Spirit's Fire

It's the dead of winter, the coldest time of the year. My back is aching. A pandemic is raging. Nerves are frayed. Patience has collapsed in a heap of ruin. And it's the best time to praise God. Yes, you read that correctly. It's the best time to lay aside our troubles and worries, and praise our Creator. Praising God in good times, for good times, is easy. Praising God in hard times requires more afore thought—more raw determination. Perhaps it's the best measure of our faith.

Stone arch bridge, Perth, ON

The apostle Paul challenges us with this admonition: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, NIV). My Bible breaks the statement above into four separate verses and then tosses "Do not quench the Spirit" into an entirely new paragraph. But in the original Greek, there are no verse numbers, or indented paragraphs. These four statements all flowed together as one.

The Spirit's fire is stoked or quenched by our rejoicing, our prayer and our thanksgiving. None of these responses—our rejoicing, prayer and thanksgiving—should be driven by the circumstances we find ourselves in. Our circumstances may vary, but God's love for us is constant.

Paul and Silas perfectly illustrated the presence of God's Spirit in their lives as they prayed and sang hymns after being severely flogged and imprisoned in Philippi. See Acts 16:16-40. Did their physical pain and circumstances inhibit their rejoicing? Apparently not. They refused to quench the Spirit's fire. Instead, they stoked it.

Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19).

Is your fire going out? Can you still find some glowing embers among the ashes? Then take some action. Add some fuel. Throw on a few splinters of rejoicing. Log on some prayer time. Top it all with some heartfelt thanksgiving. In the dead of winter, at the coldest time of year, in defiance of a pandemic, let's build the warmest fire.

David Kitz is the chair of The Word Guild. His most recent book series is Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer.