Words of Hope by Pastor Colling Griffiths
In last week’s Words of Hope pastor Rhoda asked the question “Where is the love?” and I think we need to sit with that a little longer. On August 31, 2016, the Black Eyed Peas released a new version of their song “Where Is the Love? credited to “The Black Eyed Peas featuring The World” and it has the feel of a psalm of lament.
Father, father, father help us
Send some guidance from above
‘Cause people got me, got me questioning
Where’s the love?
As Jesus followers we have some answers
God is love 1 John 4:16
God loves this world enough to actually move in, in the person of Jesus John 3:16
We’ve been shown profound love, but there is more to the story
One day Jesus is asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39
We are well-loved people and Jesus suggests well-loved people are free to love well
And yet the “where’s the love” question persists, it seems there is a palpable love deficit.
One of my favorite Bible passages is Ephesians 3:20. I used to think that when it said that “God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think” it was talking about personal blessings. Author Rich Villodas pointed me to the context and it is actually more beautiful and inspiring than what God can do for an individual. It’s about the power of God’s love moving people beyond our silos and divisive alliances into a community that will answer the question “where is the love” in practical ways.
Pastor Rhoda’s Participaction theme speaks directly to this. Imagine someone asking “where’s the love?” And someone answers “let me tell you about this group of people who meet at 5350 Baillie”