I feel it in my fingers
‘Love is all around by the Troggs, 1967.
I feel it in my toes
Love that’s all around me
And so the feeling grows
Love is a word we use often, and in varying ways. We might say we love our spouses, children, parents, family, friends, colleagues – but would likely describe that love in different ways.
Read: Luke 6:27-38
The word we find in scripture translated as ‘love’ can one of a number of expressions of love:
- Eros – intimate love and/or sexual passion
- Philia – affectionate love within friendships and community
- Storge – love within family relationships
- Philautia – self-love, caring for ones own well-being
- Xenia – love shown through hospitality to strangers
- Agape – unconditional love – of God for his people.
It is this agape love that we find in these verses in Luke’s gospel where Jesus says to his disciples to love, not only those it is easy to love, but those it is really, really, hard to love.
Why? Because this is what God is like. Loving, generous, merciful and kind.
The more we live a life of agape love, the more we discover about the character of God – who is gracious, kind and merciful. And the more we inhabit the character of God in our lives, the more holy, and whole we become. For in living a life of love, we experience more of God’s unconditional love for us and all the world.
Follow Up: Show love to others this week. Think of what you’d really like someone to do for you, and do it for them.
Today’s thought for the day is also available in Worshipping Together, a monthly worship at home resource.
Rev Dan Balsdon's Blog 