Today’s sermon is looking at how to love our neighbour during the COVID-19 crisis. Yet this topic begs the question; what is love? What does it look like to love our family, our neighbours, or even our enemies? Well in 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul gives us some practical examples:
- ‘Love is patient’. It does not get upset when things don’t go our way. Rather it remembers that others are just as sinful and broken as we are.
- ‘Love is kind’. Kindness means doing things the other person appreciates, or what they need, which sometimes is not the same thing.
- ‘It does not envy’. Envy means to focus on things they have that you don’t, or things they may do better than you at, and wishing they didn’t have those things/skills.
- ‘It does not boast, it is not proud’. Pride is putting yourself forward as better than them.
- ‘It is not rude’. Rather than tearing down with words, love builds up.
- ‘It is not self-seeking’. Love puts aside self-centredness
- ‘It is not easily angered’. When the plans of others differ to our own (e.g. being on time), we consider the plans of others as more important than ours
- ‘It keeps no record of wrongs’. Instead of focussing on how YOU have been wronged, we forgive; which means not bringing it up again
- ‘It does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth’. Love wants what is best for the other
In short, love is putting the interests of others ahead of our own. It means putting our time, energy, money, health, or even our life ahead of others, and doing it all without expecting anything in return. May our church embody this as we navigate the COVID-19 crisis.
