“Something More than a Feeling” Proverbs 3:3-4; I John 4:7-21
During college I filled in as the musician at a small country church for one and only one Sunday. I’ve never told this story before. As the choir warmed up the hymns, two of the 9 choir members began to have a disagreement over how a hymn should be sung. I stopped playing to give them room to fight over the speed and a couple of perceived wrong notes (though they were all a bit out of tune). After yelling insults back and forth, expounding on their varied knowledge of music, the two came to final crescendo of the fight. One threw her hymnal down and declared that she was leaving for good. As she was storming out the back, the other one wadded up her bulletin and hurled at the back of the one walking out and yelled, “And stay out you old cow!” And because I was not to be outdone, I started playing the hymn, “Keep on the Firing Line.” I never went back, but I’ve always been curious how things turned out.
In that comical but sad context we hear the words of I John 4: “Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Or as Proverbs 3 so carefully reminds us, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.” Love is one of the most versatile words in the English language. We can at the same time say that we love a burrito as well as say that we love the Lord with all our heart, and in both contexts, “love” means something different. Obviously, we don’t love objects or things in the same way we love God. As far as the idea of “love” as used in the Bible, C. S. Lewis wrote about the four different words or types of love that could be meant.
The first is the Greek word storge (storg-ay) which is an empathetic or familial bond much like a parent and child. When we think on this kind of love, we are drawn to verse 9, “God showed u show much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world.” Over and over I John talks about God sending Christ, the Son, so that we might be children of God as well. This image reminds us of God as the provider and caregiver, for as the old hymn says, “Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you.” Familial love is one that is supposed to be warm and nurturing but also tough where it needs to be to encourage growth.
In a way it’s almost pastoral as a minister relates to his or her congregation. One of our beloved, retired ministers said some very wise words to me once. In the context of families and churches, you have to remember that feelings are facts no matter how silly it may seem to you. To that person who is feeling the emotions, those feelings are stone cold facts, and you must address it as such. It’s called empathy, and that allows us to love and care by understanding from another’s point of view, not just feeling the emotion, but understanding it.
Similar to familial love, the next type, philia, is often described as a friendship as close as brother or sisterhood. Verse 12 says, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full completion in us.” This type of love is risky because it calls us to make bonds and connections of deep trust with people who aren’t family or a spouse. That kind of love is difficult because it has to grow its own foundation. It’s a testimony, though, to God living in us when we learn to love through a bond with others as opposed to obligation or mission. There’s a newer hymn that says, “Let us join our hands that the world will know we are one in the bond of love.” God calls us to trust and love one another
We are going to skip the third one, eros, or romantic love, and move along to the final one. You’re very single pastor is not going to offer marital advice as we’d all find that just a bit rich, I think. Lastly, then, is agape (uh-gawp-ay) love which is the highest form and the charitable, sacrificial, and unmatchable love of God. Verse 10 speaks to this, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” Real love understands both the power of that warmth and goodness flowing from a softened, trusting heart, but also knows the risks found in sacrifice. John 15:13 says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Now, likely, you are not going to be called to love even until you are sacrificed to death, but love can still call us to give some of ourselves.
I’ve often heard people say that true, Christ-like love is more than a feeling. It’s a verb, an action, something we live and do. Love is found in those who sacrifice the time to volunteer to serve meals to the poor and needy. Love is found in those who give up a little something to buy a few Kroger cards or donate to the food/mission drives. Love is found in being present when people need someone in their lives. Love is found in welcoming all into God’s house so that not one soul ever misses an encounter with Christ who loves them, redeems them, and calls them his very own.
Love is something we do, more than a feeling. I John gives a warning about this agape love, saying that “anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” God IS love. It’s not a feeling, not a wish, want, or lukewarm attachment. God is love. And such love casts out fear. I find so many Christians who live in fear, dread, and worry. God’s love casts out that fear. The only truly scary thing in life is that humanity doesn’t love nearly enough like God does.
I’ll tell you another little story about love. There was a small church of faithful people from several different religious backgrounds. They had all come to a tiny Christian church seeking love, somewhere they felt welcome, somewhere that challenged complacency but comforted the bruised soul. And as they came, they found more people wanted to come, but it was very different. There were people who looked differently, spoke other languages, had personal issues that made trust tougher to establish, who loved and lived life differently, who were well-versed in the world, but were still searching for something to touch the soul.
Every one of them came into this church from so many different places in life, so many varied backgrounds and understandings, but there was one thing they all soon noticed. Every last one of them wanted to find what I John talks about: God’s unconditional, sacrificial, and everlasting love that changes hearts, comforts souls, and reminds the broken that blessed are the poor in spirt. And even as they searched out for this love of God, they found, too, the importance of loving one another. It wasn’t easy because love is messy, vulnerable, and often in need of forgiveness. But soon that love from God spread all around, and everyone knew this incredible power—to show God’s love in how they lived, shared, and acted in their faith.
My friends, love is one of the most powerful things we have. It called Christ to the cross, it freed us from all that sought to destroy us. And it promises us an everlasting hope. And, I believe, John is telling us that God’s love truly can change the world. So listen to the advice of the Psalm: “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, and write them on…your heart.”
Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1138031300014847