Loved Ones......

We call them "Loved Ones" because we love them and they love us. It is a relationship based on love. We may not agree on much except that we love one another and that seems to me the principle thing.

I do not know much about building wooden structures but if you are going to build with brick you have to have a good, solid, level foundation. That foundation was given to us by God in Jesus Christ when God, because of the great love with which He loved us, send His only Son to die in our place so that an avenue to a personal relationship with God may be opened. That is why Jesus' only command was that we should love.

Yesterday a man passed on to Glory suddenly. He was not a great theologian - most of his doctrine was slanted and tainted - but he loved. He was an old coot who earned the nickname "Grizz" because he could be a bear - but he loved. He was not very rich or successful in business, we smiled at his schemes and ideas - but he loved. He was ornery and gave up on organized religion years ago but he learned to love.

I called him PapaDoc. He called me Kiekie. I am going to miss him sooo very much. Not because he was larger than life or had a huge part to play in my day to day life. Not because we were related by blood. Most people who know me, did not even know of his existence. No, I'm gonna miss him because he loved me and I loved him.

Why do we place so much emphasis on the point beside the point? Can't we see that God is love and those who live in love, lives in God. I don't care much about doctrine, because soon enough, when we see Him who knows everything, doctrine will pass away. Haven't we divided enough because of methodology or doctrines? We think in our arrogance and pride that we have it all together, yet neglect this one thing: Love God with all your heart and love one another as He loves us.

My heart grieves today as I remember PapaDoc. I wish I could have one more visit with him. Just one last e-mail or phone call. Just one more time hearing him say: Fhurekte Khaibe.
But all I have is those that are left behind... the loved ones.

Lovest Thou Me ? 



Jesus did not ask Peter to keep some doctrine or whether he understood and would promise to keep some command; He simply asked: Lovest thou me? I am convinced that through the tunnel of time into eternity the same words echo: Lovest Thou me?

God is not really interested in all the silly things we keep as so important, that we sometimes in hindsight have to shake our heads at ourselves in stunned, amazement that we let a thing that silly upset us. He does not care how much money, popularity or knowledge we have. He does not care if we miss it daily and struggle a lifetime with the same sin. No, He does not. He wants to know if we love Him and if we love one another.

Jesus gave us two commandments, ONLY two. Love God with all that is in you and  love one another as I have loved you . And then He says: if you love me you would obey My commandment. He is talking about loving one another as He loves us. Can we do this? Loving God seems easy if this second part is not attached.

The new testament teaches that if we say that we love God and hate our brother( or sister) that we are liars. - This does not mean that we have to stick around to be abused by some other person's brokenness. Since we all have some form or another of misinformation about the idea of love, let's just look for a minute at the way that He loves.

He left heaven, union with the Father, to empty Himself of all His divine attributes and live on earth as a humble man, a slave, and then allow His body to be abused and tortured to death; carrying in His soul the grief of our sins and twisted-ness, so that we can have the choice to sin or not. How is that for love? While we were His enemies, Christ died. For a good person that will accomplish good things, for our children, we may be willing to do this, but He demonstrated His love to us, in that He allowed this atrocity to be committed against Him, the innocent, while we were dirty, rotten scoundrels. To top it off, we can continue in our sin, if we so choose. ( We will reap the reward, the wages of our sin if that is our choice.) Maybe we would be willing to die for a sinner if he or she will promise to amend their ways... But He did not add any condition to His sacrifice, except that we believe in Him and appropriate His sacrifice to ourselves.

Can we really comprehend such unconditional love? Can we really wrap our hearts and minds around such a Savior?

This Love, this awesomeness, is enough to fill me up to overflow with love, adoration, gratefulness and worship. What do you do with a God like this? He loves me. He loves you. He is love.