Love is something that may have been on your mind this week. Earlier this week, the world celebrated Valentine’s Day with chocolates, flowers, and cards. Maybe you shared the day with a significant other or took the day to focus on family or beloved friends. It’s a fun day to shower the people you care about with love and good wishes as thanks for being there.
The Bible is filled with beautiful love stories. How about one we might not consider a traditional love story, though? One in which God’s love clearly shines through in a pure and replicable way.
In Fusion a couple of weeks ago, we spent time focusing on the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). This story is familiar to most of us who have spent time in the church. Jesus tells the story of a man who is left to die, beaten and robbed, on the side of the road. He gives the example of those who pass by without stopping to help—people who were important in the Church and were seen as men of God. However, the one who finally stops is a Samaritan man—someone who would have been seen as other.
Yet, as Jesus tells us, even despite the divide of culture and politics, the Samaritan man shows love and compassion by giving the clothes off his back, use of his donkey, and setting the man up at an inn with several days income. This is love.
It is easy to show and celebrate love towards our families, communities, churches, and friends. Do we go out of our way to extend that same grace and care beyond though? Our challenge to you, the same we gave to our Fusion crew, is to find ways to love like this. Be intentional about letting God’s love shine through you, even to those with different opinions, views, and statuses. Happy Friday!