Weekly Update – 15/10

Love has a name!

There seems to be something about this thing called love. You only have to look at some of the chart hits over the past few decades to see that the subject of love is sung about a lot. Let me give you some statistics.

In the 1960s 70% of all song lyrics were about love.

In the 1970s it was 66% and in the 1990s (my teenage era!), it was 71%. More recently we see the Ed Sheeran’s and Adele’s of this world, writing and performing songs about love. But why?

God is a fan of love! Just look at the Bible and “Google” bible verses about love. There are loads and one such well known passage is often used at weddings, 1 Corinthians 13. This is what it says…

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not envious, boastful, or proud. Love does not insist on getting its own way.

Love is not self-seeking or resentful, forgives, rejoices in doing the right thing.

Love never fails.

Love is full of eternal hope.

Love never lets you down. (1 Corinthians 13 paraphrased)

So, we like to sing about love. We like to think about it and include it in life’s celebrations. We seem to like the idea of love. But why do we need to be loved, affirmed, and valued? Is the need for love part of the DNA of human life?

There’s a worship song by “Jesus Culture” called “Love has a name” and in the lyrics it says this, “There’s a space in every beating heart, there’s a longing reaches past the stars. There’s an answer to every question mark, there’s a name – Love has a name, Jesus.”

There is a reason why humanity seems to long for the idea of love in our very existence. It’s because God designed us in that way to be loved and to live a life of love. Not at all easy I hear you say. No, it isn’t.  Looking at the world around you, there are times when love is the furthest thing away from people’s actions and thoughts. You only need to hear the news to wonder, where God is.  The conflict and pain of a war, the heartbreak of a failed relationship, the shock of a terrible crime. Do we find ourselves asking, where is love in any of this?

The Bible tells us that God is love and we only need to look at the cross to see love, to see Jesus. He asks us not to look at the world but to look at Him, trust in Him and to do our best to love better!

So just to finish this thought for the week, if we put “Jesus” into the 1 Corinthians passage, this is how it would read…

“Jesus is patient and kind.

Jesus is not envious, boastful, and proud.

Jesus does not insist on getting His own way.

Jesus is not self-seeking or resentful.

Jesus forgives!

Jesus rejoices in the right things.

Jesus love never fails.

Jesus is eternal hope.

Jesus love never lets me down.”

In the week ahead, don’t forget to pray for the world but look to Jesus because love does have a name, His name is Jesus.

 

Jackie