May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
be with you, all those you love,
and those we ought to love.
At the end of every worship service, I offer this benediction—a tradition borrowed from a mentor, Dr. Jeri Parris Perkins, who borrowed it herself from a Scottish Presbyterian pastor. The words linger: And those we ought to love. It’s simple yet profoundly challenging. Over the years, I’ve realized that I must include myself when I use this benediction. After all, love is not a lofty ideal—it’s a call to daily action.
One remarkable thing about Central Pres is that they say the last line of the benediction with me. This is the first congregation in my ministry to do so across multiple churches in multiple states. It reminds me that this call to love is a personal charge and a collective mission. Together, we embody the Gospel’s essence: love for God and love for neighbor, inseparably intertwined.
The Shema and the Greatest Commandment
The command to love God and neighbor comes directly from Scripture, first in Deuteronomy and later echoed by Jesus in the Gospels. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5, we find the Shema:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
When Jesus quotes this passage, he adds, “with all your mind,” reflecting the Greek influence on Jewish thought. By distinguishing heart and mind, Jesus invites us to integrate the fullness of our humanity into our love for God—our emotions, intellect, strength, and spirit.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He ties the love of God to the love of neighbor, declaring that the two are not separate commandments but one unified call. To love God is to love our neighbor, and to love our neighbor is to love God.
The Enemies of Love
As I reflected on this text, I realized that in my day-to-day life the greatest enemy of love is not always hate—it’s speed. As a parent, I’ve learned that genuinely loving my children often requires slowing down. Whether baking cookies or working in the yard, love demands patience. When I rush, I miss the moments that matter most.
The other enemy of love is judgment. Too often, we fall into the trap of thinking, "If I were you, I would do it this way." But love doesn’t insist on its way; it rejoices in truth, as 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us.
In our fast-paced, polarized world, judging and categorizing others is tempting. But Jesus calls us to love those who are different—those who look different, love differently, vote differently, and live differently. This love isn’t about liking or agreeing; it’s about reaching out with the fullness of our being without reservation or condition.
A Purple Church in a Divided World
This call to love is particularly urgent during politically divisive times. Central Pres embraced being a “purple church,” where people of differing perspectives gather under the shared commitment to love in the manner of Christ. Regardless of how we vote or the outcome, our allegiance is not to human leaders but to a living and loving God.
Our identity as followers of Christ is rooted in the greatest commandment: to love God with everything we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This love transcends political affiliations, personal preferences, and societal divisions. This love compels us to yield and serve, make space and listen, give up advantage and honor the humanity in people who have offended us. It’s a love that seeks unity in diversity, compassion over judgment, and connection over individualism.
Moving Forward Together
I recently heard a proverb that has stayed with me: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Love invites us to slow down and journey together, embracing the messiness and beauty of community.
As we navigate the challenges of our world, may we remember that love is not just an emotion but an action—a choice to give of our whole selves entirely and sacrificially. Whether in our families, churches, or broader communities, let us live out the Gospel by loving with every ounce of our being.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Michael
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