Love One Another

Love one another as I have loved you, he did not say love only those of your religion, only those who attend your church, who believe everything you believe, but love one another as I have loved you. He loved us so much that he withstood beatings, taunting and ultimately death on a cross, how many of us could say that we love anyone enough to go through just one of those things, much less all. He was not asking us to do anything he himself was not willing to do, he was not asking us to have a feeling; he was telling us to make a decision to love even the people you do not agree with. Those that drive us up the wall, those that make it very hard to like them much less love them and those who believe in him even if they do not necessarily worship in the same manner you do.

Hard pill to swallow isn't it, to love people you can not stand, but he loved you, when you were not the upstanding Christian you are today. He loved you when you stumbled home at night after an all night binge, he loved you when you couldn't wait till you were married, he loved you when you took what did not belong to you, he loved you when you hated yourself, he waited their patiently for you to come to him. He listened and heard your prayers even though you only noticed him when you needed something and only went to church because you were afraid he wouldn't listen if you didn't. He loved you even when you thought his name was only to be used to get a point across when you were mad; love one another as I have loved you.