From the Minister

It’s February again, and you know what that means! Yes Valentine’s Day is around the corner. People will be out buying presents for their sweethearts and cards covered with hearts. Roses are red, violets are blue, and this card tell how much I love you!

In his book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum says “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others”  Thus reflecting the need to be loved as well as the love we can give to others.

Whilst the Wizard of Oz may be a good story, I’m not so sure that it’s a reliable source of spiritual information. In the Bible Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ and the second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” (Mark 12:29-31)  So that according to Him, the greatest commandment is to love, scripture says nothing about expecting to be loved in return. In fact, Jesus stated the opposite in His most famous sermon: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." (Matt. 5:11-12).

So when it comes to love, the important thing we need to know is this: all love starts with God (1 John 4:19). As Moses told the Israelites, God delighted in them to love them (Deut. 10:15), and because of that they were to love others, even strangers (v.19). God's intention is that as people who receive His love we will in turn share His love with others.

Apart from God—who Himself is love—none of us could truly love or be loved (1 John 4:7-8)

So what of the Tin Man? Is there any truth in being judged by how others love us? Well not quite in the sense of the quote, but this I do know, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The love of God comes close

Where stands an open door

To let the stranger in,

To mingle rich and poor:

The love of God is here to stay

Embracing those who walk his way.
                 (John L Bell & Graham Maule)

Rev Rick