Walk in Love

 "While Jesus is, in his own way, just as inscrutable, he is enough like me to convince me that relationship with God is not only possible, but deeply desired by God, who wants me to believe that love is the wide net spread beneath the most dangerous of my days. To believe that is an act of faith - not a one time decision, but a daily and sometimes hourly choice to act as if that were true in spite of all evidence to the contrary." Barbara Brown Taylor

On my mantle amidst my Valentine decorations is a sign that says

"Love is a Verb."

One of my kids calls these my cheesy mom signs.

The thing is that I think while we know love is a verb, we often treat it as a noun.

We think of love as a feeling.

Feelings are fleeting. Feelings are fickle. Feelings are often untrustworthy.

Truthfully I'm always torn on Valentine's day. It's on the list of "Norman Rockwell" failures in my home.

Each year I put hearts on everyone's door to speak truth to them.

Each year I make a personalized card for each person and buy them a favorite treat.

Each year I plan a special family dinner with foods, treats and candles.

No one mentions their hearts. Occasionally there is a "thanks" thrown at me, but not always for the card/treat. Often the dinner is attended by at most 3 of us.

The thing is I anticipate that others will love me in the SAME way I love them.

That doesn't seem fair or practical when you think about it.

If I take an emotional step back, I can see my people loving as a verb in their own way.

SD making "super daddy pancakes" for the Peanut. Xman offering to fix something that is broken. The Princess searching Walmart for the elusive treats I want for my students.

Love is most definitely a verb.

It doesn't survive as a noun.

Over the last few weeks, I keep circling back to the "great commandment."

"Love God. Love others."

As a verb.

I can accept that we all define loving God differently. And that it looks different in action for each of us.

I'm going to confess I'm struggling with how "love others" is looking in action lately.

Are we loving others when we are breeding hate?

We've allowed a climate to be created where what we are "against" is being spoken so much louder than what we may be "for."

Perhaps we need to bring back the WWJD bracelets.

You won't convince me that Jesus doesn't care for the people in the margins. My bible doesn't read that way.

I think we've double downed on our political party and lost the vision of our real king.

I think we've lost sight that we are talking about real people and not policies.

Real people who are losing their jobs. Real people who are losing their homes. Real people who are victims of hate.

Mama Warriors, as we walk this "love day" as one of my kids used to call it, let's take a minute to remember what it means to "walk in love."

As we talk to our kids about current events, let's remember to speak about the PEOPLE affected with kindness and respect regardless of how we feel about the policy.

Let's remember to have compassion for each other.

Let's walk in love.