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Monday, May 11, 2009

"Love is too Familiar a Word"

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[May 11, 2009]   --  "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love."-John 15:9

There is a poem entitled, "Love is too Familiar a Word" and when I approach passages like this it often pops into my head. Over and over again we hear two things as Christians; God loves us and we should love other people. We hear these words so often, and we are told of God's love so frequently, that the saying becomes too familiar. The word "love" loses its power and becomes a cliche with little weight or influence in our lives. And when this happens it is tragic.

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We live in a world where truth is becoming increasingly relative. It's becoming harder to identify truth. And here, in these words from the Gospel of John, Jesus once again reiterates the great truth of our lives, that we are loved by God. This simple statement has the power to shape our lives like no other truth we will ever encounter. These words tell us that we may be down but we are never out. They tell us that dawn always follows the darkness of night. The tell us that while we might be lonely we are never alone. They tell us that we are not defined by our failures and shortcomings but by God's love. They tell us that we have tremendous value and that we matter. They tell us that there is a purpose and plan in this world. All of these truths are embedded in the simple statement, "Jesus loves you."

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On this day I would invite you to reflect on this truth. Ask yourself how your life is shaped by these words and, if you are heretofore unmoved by them, try opening yourself to them anew. Hear them as a fresh word in your life. Hear them and know that they are never a tired cliche but a great truth.


Prayer: Holy God, please remind me that I am loved and help me to feel your love. Help to feel that, feeling, I might then share your love with everyone I meet. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

[Text from File Received by Phil Blackburn, First Presbyterian Church ]

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