Practicing Love
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:9-21
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Romans 12:16 (NKJV)
In “The Grand Inquisitor” by Dostoyevsky the character Ivan confesses, “I could never understand how one can love one’s neighbors. . .To my thinking Christlike love for men is a miracle impossible on earth. . .One can love one’s neighbors in the abstract, or even at a distance, but at close quarters it is almost impossible.”
Ivan clearly understands the human condition. We can easily love those who love us and those who are like us, but we struggle with loving the rest of humanity. Christlike love is unnatural. But it is not impossible. The God who is love, not only commands us to love, He enables us to love. God places us in the midst of hurting humanity and says “I want to love them through you.”
Ivan, like so many people, realizes it takes a miracle to love like Christ loves, but makes the mistake of not believing that God will do that miracle. People want to know the love of God and God wants people to know His love. As Christians obey the call to love, God performs a miracle. He expresses His love through the words and deeds of His people.