Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts. 1 Peter 1:22 (NLT)

This Sunday, take a good look around you at the people gathering together with us for worship. Most likely you will find people that look nothing like you, people who might have a different color of skin, and most likely come from another part of the city, or country or even from another country all together (all I have to do is look beside me! J ). These are people that you would never have any type of relationship with if it were not for the commonality you share through your mutual trust in Jesus Christ. In fact, if it were not for Jesus, you might avoid these folks entirely. Though most would like to say that we are not racially prejudice or biased, it is quite unavoidable to surround yourself with those that make you feel comfortable, and those you are able to identify with. There is something to be said for what happens to us when we embrace the cross: our sins are forgiven, of course, but it also allows us to look at each other as having shared in a common experience. And through that shared experience we have come to love each other. It is phenomenal that we are able to find identity and candidness with individuals from other countries whom we may have never met before all on the bases that we share the same faith in the One Savior. We love because we have been loved by the Christ Himself. I have been loved and you have been loved. Now we must share that love with one another. Biblical community is expressed not just through the telling of the Gospel story, but by the living out of the Gospel message. That message, first and foremost, is one of love. In fact, throughout the entire epistle of 1 John, he repeats himself time and again that the message he is reminding them of is one they have heard since the beginning of their conversion: that we must love one another. There is a common phrase that is tossed around that goes something like, "Well, I might have to love them, but I don’t have to like them." I can somewhat understand that if we are talking about someone such as Adolph Hitler or Osama ben Ladan…but when we are so critical of other Christians that we dislike them merely because of personal dislikings (such as, dress attire, music preference, etc), we might need to step back and reassess our understanding of Christ’s love for us. And not just love, but his brokenness for people—even people that inconvenienced him. How he wanted to be around 12 guys that were constantly misunderstanding him and messing things up. We must be careful to not take for granted this great blessing and freedom of public fellowship and community and embrace each other in order to encourage and edify one another on to faithfulness. Furthermore, as we expand our community and add in number, we must be diligent to love and encourage the new disciples in order to bolster their faith as well. "God is Love", and if we are a part of God’s kingdom and if we are to bear the image of God, then the image we reflect will be one of love. Our Savior said it himself that we would be identified as his followers if we "love one another". I think it is safe to suggest that this implies if we do not love one another, then we will not be associated with him, for Love is his very essence. May those around us see the community of love shared amongst us and be attracted not to us, but to the Source of where our love derives from: Jesus Christ, who is Love.