Love in Action

Dear children, let’s not merely say
that we love each other;
let us show the truth by our actions.

1 John 3:18

Love—genuine love—is something that defies definition, yet, like grace, it is fundamental to the Christian. For millennia, words have eluded the very best poets and philosophers in their quest to analyse love, quantify love, explain love, or define love. But where words leave the brain numb, the heart resonates in perfect pitch when we see love in action. Join me as we look in on some familiar scenes.

We’re in a busy airport. An announcement over the intercom stirs a small commotion behind us as a man in uniform stands up. Tiny arms encircle each leg as an elderly couple looks on, weeping. He and his wife cling to each other in a long, desperate embrace. Tears and kisses and prayers and promises lead up to the inevitable “I love you . . . good-bye”—perhaps to be their last.

We’re strolling down a dimly lit hospital hallway at 3:00 a.m. when the squeaks and coos of a nursing newborn draw our attention. There, in an island of soft light, is a new mother cradling the life that came from her body only hours before. Her husband sits behind her on the bed, his cheek pressed against hers as they stare in wonder at their baby. The expression on their faces reflects the miracle that has just occurred: love begat life.

The smell of fresh flowers and the jubilant chords of a pipe organ mingle together over our heads in a church sanctuary. A bride moves gracefully down the aisle, holding her father’s arm. He wears the look of a man who’s about to hand a million-dollar Stradivarius to a gorilla. At the altar, a young man stands on tiptoe, peering down the aisle for a glimpse of his bride. On his face we see innocence, fear, anticipation, delight, and enormous love.

When we see love in action, our hearts cannot help but beat in perfect rhythm with those involved. Love is a universal language. When expressed authentically, no words are necessary. Furthermore, love is no less essential to human life than air, food, or water. Hard science proves the fact. And, as we see in the apostle Paul’s towering treatise in 1 Corinthians 13, nothing is complete without love. Unfortunately, we love too little and we love too seldom. So, on occasion, we need a gentle reminder of what it means to love others with our whole hearts. That calls for wisdom and counsel from the Author of love.