They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love. (Peter Scholtes)
Like many Christians who grew up in the 60's and 70's, the song, "We Are One in the Spirit," brings back great memories. Most of mine involve sitting around a campfire, strumming my guitar and looking around at a circle of people that I'd recently begun calling my brothers and sisters in Christ. It was summer camp and we were learning what it meant to truly love one another as Jesus loved us.
It was the era of the "Jesus Freaks," and yes, I actually do recall riding around in a Volkswagen minibus on more than one occasion. I loved these people, and I had no doubt they loved me as well. We often talked about Jesus. We studied the Bible together, underlining and memorizing verses about love and hope and forgiveness. And we prayed together. We prayed for each other and for the world, for those in need and those in pain, for the lost and lonely. We felt the incredible love of God flowing through us and we knew -- we KNEW -- that this love was the most powerful force in the world.
"They'll know we are Christians by our love." I was drawn toward Jesus Christ because I saw a group of people who truly loved each other and were willing to give their entire lives to God -- following in the footsteps of Jesus. They invited me to join them and when I did, when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, I felt such an overwhelming sense of love and forgiveness AND belonging. I now belonged to God and to the community, the BODY of Christ.
There is NO doubt -- people will be drawn TOWARD Jesus by the way His followers love each other. The love we show to our brothers and sisters in Christ is the single most important way we demonstrate to the world Who Jesus truly is.
However, the REVERSE is also true. The best way to damage the Kingdom of God is to treat fellow believers poorly. The most devastating blows we can inflict upon the Gospel are those we inflict upon one another. Who would want to join a movement in which the followers don't get along? And not only that, who would willingly join a group where its members tear one another down, show favoritism, lack forgiveness, and are quick to judge each another?
Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
We don't have to agree with one another. We DO have to love one another. We don't have to attend the same churches. We DO have to love one another. We don't have to be in the same political party. We DO have to love one another. We don't have to like the same songs, or take the same stand on moral issues, or affirm the same interpretation of all Scripture texts. But we DO have to love one another.
Truth is, the Church is often the first place we find judgment and the last place we find grace. We are not defined by our love anymore, but rather our divisions. People within the body of Christ who are most in need of support and affirmation are too often met with stares, whispers, and even cries of disapproval and condemnation.
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By THIS (our love for one another) everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
