Who do you love? That might be a personal question. But is it everybody? Probably not as only God does that right?!
Read again what the Apostle says:
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people” Colossians 1 v 4
He had never been to Colossae. He has not met these people and all he knows of them is from what he has heard. Yet he is already praying for them because of what he has heard. What he has heard has moved him. They love all God’s people. They don’t just love people who are their type of people they love all of God’s people.
There have probably been many of God’s people travelling through Colossae from many places. When they leave and tell of their travels they speak of the love of Christ shown to them by the Colossians.
This is Kingdom love. Christ’s Kingdom Love.
It has become public. It is not locked away in closets of opinion and interpretation of Scriptures. It is for all.
“We cannot all do great things” Mother Teresa once said, “but we can do small things with great love.”
The defining characteristic of any Christian is love. If you go to a gathered community of Christians and do not find love then Christ has been put to one side. Churches decline because they forget what they are meant to be fighting and choose to love themselves and not all of God’s people. When Kingdom love disappears so does the Kingdom. No Kingdom no Christ. Falling out over things that just do not matter does matter because when people witness it they don’t want anything to do with the Church.
When is the Church going to start to get uptight over poverty, racism, bigotry, persecution and hunger?
When will the Church get bloodied hands over those battles?
The day it does then the more troops will gather and the Church will rise to be the army of love it was always called to be.
Who do you love? What can you do?
Missions Paul 