Learning to Love Others

faith love service society Feb 10, 2024

4 minute read
By Bethany Rees

I love watching movies where actors have to use an accent to showcase where the character is from. Whether it’s Audrey Hepburn trying to change her lower class English accent in My Fair Lady or all the southern accents found in Forrest Gump and Gone with the Wind, I love a good exaggerated accent.

I’m from Arkansas so you know I'm full of “y’alls,” “bless their hearts,” and “fixin’ ta dos.”

What we say and how we say it, not only showcases where we’re from, but it showcases the attitude of our heart. Tone inflection and non-verbal expressions can easily give away a sarcastic or bitter heart even if the words are technically nice.

Our words (and deeds) showcase the presence of or the absence of love in our hearts.

Having love and showing love is really important to God. I mean, have you noticed how God’s greatest commandments are all about love?

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ~ Mark 12:30-31 [emphasis added]

However, when I see people in traffic, in line at Wal-Mart, posting on social media, and definitely on the news I don’t see or hear love. I see and hear anger, hatred, and divisiveness.

If I’m honest, when I think of my internal thoughts about others I don’t always hear love either…I hear judgmentalness and self-righteousness. These are all the opposite of love.

I recently interviewed Mr. Lyndon Pryor, President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, on my Leadership on the Rocks podcast. As we were talking about leadership and making a positive impact in society, he mentioned that a huge cause of problems and division in society is that we blind ourselves to seeing others’ humanity.

We blind ourselves to seeing others’ humanity.

He said, we often see the labels we’ve put on people, but that we don’t see nor love their humanity, or their wholeness. Boom! Mic Drop! What?!

For example, you may see me as a woman Christian writer, but you don’t see me as a business owner. We might see others as a Republican or Democrat politician, but we don’t see them as a person of faith or conviction. We might see others as a black/white person that has been incarcerated, but we don’t see them as a mother/father with a family to feed.

So often we are quick to judge a person based upon the one label we placed upon them. We place a negative label on others that makes us feel justified in judging them or saying hateful words against them.

While we may not agree with others’ beliefs, lifestyles, actions, etc, we are called to love them.

A great first step in learning how to love others truly is to see their humanity, their wholeness, and to have compassion (concern) for them.

Jesus always did. He truly saw people. When it came to those shunned by society, he always had compassion on them.

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” ~ Matthew 14:14

“Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ~ Matthew 15:32

“Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” ~ Matthew 20:34 (NIV)

~Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” ~ Mark 1:41(NLT)

“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” ~ Luke 7:13

And let’s not forget Jesus’ parables also showcased loving others by showing compassion towards the humanity of a person regardless of their label as was evidenced in the Good Samaritan parable.

We are called to love others, period. So let us learn how to love others as God loves them. To see them beyond their label in society. Let’s learn to love them well by having compassion (concern) for them as Jesus did.

Know Better. Do Better. Live Better. Love God, Love Others!

Rocks before Sand!

Scripture:

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

~ Colossians 3:14

Theme Song:

Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise (Official Music Video)

References Used:

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