It’s fascinating how the book of Romans, which is used to discriminate between groups of people, shares this Scripture with us today: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” That’s surely not the assumption many Christians make when taking Romans out of context. That’s sadly the thing about religion at times. We waver back and forth on assumptions taken from how certain Scriptures have been taught or perceived.
Last year, Valerie and I tried something we had never done before: tandem kayaking. We had kayaked alone, but never together. And you know what you cannot do when kayaking together? Argue and have lack of communication — or you might just find yourself out of sync, stuck in the middle of the lake, paddling in the wrong direction, getting nowhere.
To be completely honest, I feel the Church is stuck in the middle of the lake. The Church, overall, to be clear. The lack of communication, the constant arguing, the placement of views over the gospel or even the constant lies we tell ourselves that we are speaking or acting on behalf of Christ when in reality it’s for the sake of self. The Church is paddling, and we are all out of sync.
Though I’m not a huge fan of the book of Romans, it offers a poignant view of the Church then and now. We can get tied into a knot by many damaging Scriptures and ways they have been twisted and turned throughout history. The only thing that puts us in sync is love.
I know it’s cheesy, but maybe we have thought “love” has been so cheesy as a fix that we just haven’t tried it at all. It is easier to create a common enemy than it is to forge a path of grace and love. If love wasn’t cheesy enough, may you take these words and implant them in your soul:
There’s nothin’ you can do that can’t be done
Nothin’ you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothin’ you can say, but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy
Nothin’ you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothin’ you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easy
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need