Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.

John 13:34-35 (Message)

 

Today is Maundy Thursday.

This day gets its name from the Latin word "mandateum," which means "commandment." It recalls that on the night of His betrayal, Jesus commanded His followers to love one another just as He had loved them. This commandment is the new law of love by which people will recognise we are His disciples by the way we act and treat one another. In another word, as a people of God, love is the centre and everything we do. When we focus on this commandment for love and unity, we become Christ's reconciling ambassadors of healing and hope in a broken world. So, how have we fared since then?

Schisms, splits, and divisions in churches indicate that we do not love one another very well. Our inability to love is fear. Fear divides people. The deeper the fear, the greater the divide. We often hesitate to love unconditionally for fear of being hurt, rejected, or misunderstood. Some people are also difficult to love. It is easy to fall in love with the lovable, but it is a different story with the unlovable. The early church had to learn how to accept and love people despite racial and cultural differences. In doing so, they were able to overcome the fear of difference that drives division.

How do we learn to love others as Jesus loved?

It is important to have the ability to love and connect with others on a personal level. The first step is to believe that God truly loves you and to act on that revelation. Perfect love cast out fears. Rest on Christ’s love to love others. Knowing we have been deeply loved empowers us to love others as much as He loves us.

What is God saying to me here and what must I do?