Spring has sprung, as they say. This is the time of year when things begin to come alive. Flowers and other flora bloom in earnest. Birds return from their winter vacation and share with us their varied and beautiful songs. Other creatures awaken from their semi or full hibernations and become much more active. Breezes turn warm and days become noticeably longer. Even among humanity, this time of year has traditionally marked a time of increased activity. Until fairly recently, for example, armies would go into “winter quarters,” hunkering down to await the spring weather (or the thaws). Spring is the time for movement, for growth, and for new life.
As we begin a new month, we also begin a new theme. This month we focus on the greatest of spiritual virtues: love. It is love that is the center of who we are to be in this life, to one another and to the world around us. It is love—learned from God through Christ—that “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14). It is love that is the very glue that holds together the body of Christ. It is love that serves as the evidence of our provenance. It is love that is to drive all we do.
Today we begin a month-long look at Rom 12:9-10. It is at this point in Romans 12 that Paul begins to talk about how the people of Christ are to relate to one another. I pray that we all listen carefully to the words of the apostle, and that we learn to “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (Eph 5:2).
–Ricky