Love Spread Around

I’m so excited for the Sock Hop at Branches Church this Saturday! Sometimes you just have to pull out the stops and have some fun and this is one of those times. It’s Valentine’s Day Week – turn up the music and let’s dance!

Growing up in the Midwest, Valentine’s Day at school was a big deal. We decorated the classroom with hearts and streamers and brought shoe boxes to decorate with slits cut in the top for everyone to put their valentine card in. We would put them on the top of our desks and make a parade out of it. Everyone brought cards for everyone – nobody was to be left out. It was a good life lesson. Oh, and candy…don’t forget the candy!

Of course, there were kids that you picked very carefully what was said on that card; you didn’t want to give the wrong impression! Then there were the cards that you would scrutinize for the girl you wanted to get a particular message to. It was all in good fun. It was affirming to get a card that had a particular sporting skill or talent that was yours written on it and was recognized by your classmates. Looking back I’m amazed at how the teachers combined art, social studies, current events, and twenty-some elementary students into an organized event that created so much excitement that lasted for days. Good memories for me.

In February at Branches we are asking ourselves, “What does love require of me?”

Much of those early life lessons around Valentine’s Day in school are applicable to this question for sure; respect, inclusion, affirmation, participation, thinking of others, etc. but these are actually out of a social or moral obligation, they do not necessarily have to come from a love that is within me; just follow the rules and everyone gets along.

When Jesus said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35) he was talking about more than getting along. He wasn’t adding an eleventh commandment to God’s top ten. He wasn’t being redundant by repeating what he had already taught them about loving God with all their heart, soul, and mind and their neighbor as themselves. He was taking them to a new level of definition and understanding that love comes from God – like he did – and it goes beyond (or should I say comes from beyond) our moral fiber and our social convictions and our intrinsic ability to be nice and follow the rules.

Jesus gave us this much: that we were able to obey loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind and our neighbor as ourselves. This is good, he said, being obedient, to get along, to acknowledge God, to take care of your neighbor, it’s what you are capable of so it is good that you do it. But this new commandment to love each other is commanding a love that is not obligatory, nor is it obedience alone, nor is it for anything that I may get out of it because of my moral or social obligations toward justice and fairness. In the Greek, it is Agape, or abundant love that comes from God for the benefit of others.

For the benefit of others; Hmmm. Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you” meaning, I gave up my rights to come love on you. I left what was mine and came to include you. I don’t have to pay for your sin but I am willing to. So, love each other just as I have loved you. THEN, you will be known as my disciples.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard a church or someone in the church say, “What do we get out of it?” to excuse not doing something, I could buy a lot of gas with said dollars. Agape love, love that is for the benefit of others, love that will identify the disciples of Jesus doesn’t ask that question! We have a long way to go just to lay aside our own rights and convictions and personal agendas in order to love like Jesus loved. 

Where can we start?

If I could go back and redo my childhood years I would change this: I would not bring a Valentine for everyone because I was told to. I would change my heart. I would choose one and bring it to the awkward girl with the dirty clothes who had no friends just because it would make her feel so special. I would choose to not worry about what people thought of me or if they accused me of liking her like kids do. I would do it for her – not because I was told to.

Now, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re going to get together this Saturday and open up the gym, turn up the 50’s music, put out the cookies and punch, pass out prizes, and dance the night away just to be able to love on the community of Menomonie. No obligation, no law forcing us, no agenda to justify it, just to let people know we are glad for what God has done for us and we are glad to be a part of this community!

Come join us at the hop Saturday, February 9^th, 6-8:30pm at the Wakanda School gym for some good old fashioned fun and games. You might even leave a little nostalgic remembering that love is supposed to be spread around!