John challenges his listeners to be disciples of Jesus who move beyond interior belief about love to visible actions and behaviours.
John says, you believe that God loves you? that you are a child of God? that you should love each other? Then put it into action. Make it visible. Don't be like Cain who took life away from his brother, Abel; be like Jesus who gives life to others. We may not be asked to lay down our lives for others, but we can still offer what is life-giving to others. Sometimes this looks like the example John gives of sharing our worldly goods with our brothers and sisters in need and sometimes offering what is life-giving happens in the everyday encounters with our family members, the clerks in the store, our colleagues at work . . .
I reminded of Kahlil Gibran's poem, On Work, in which he proclaims "work is love made visible" and "when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God". Watch for opportunities today to make love visible!
- Marilyn Malton
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