“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ” John 13:34

Isn’t this a wonderful thought. We are to love each other as Christ loved us. We smile at those around us and care for those in need. We may drop a few coins into a beggars cup, put some money in the collection plate at church or even go on a working bee to clean up a park or cook a meal for someone in need. These things are easy to do. We do them and we feel good about ourselves for having done them.

Being a Christian myself it may not surprise you that many of my friends, in both the real world and the virtual one are also Christians. We support each other with lovely Christian memes stating how Jesus loved us enough to die for us. A sacrificial love. I makes us feel good.

Wait a minute! What was that last bit again?

He loved us enough to die for us. Now which of us is that for? It is for every last one of us, no matter how much of a sinner we are. He loved us enough to die for the very worst of us. It is truly wonderful that He could love us that much.

Now getting back to the opening passage; “just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another”. How did he love us? He died for us! Would I die to save someone I loved? I’d say yes. That would be true for most of us. If my death would save my family or friends, I’d like to think I’d have the strength to put my life on the line to save them. I expect most of us would be the same.

Now what about the beggar in the street? Maybe. What about a criminal? A thief, a murderer, a paedophile? Um probably not and I’m not sure any of my Christian friends would either. In fact when the exploits of Rolf Harris and Bill Cosby came to light, they all wanted that pair to suffer a painful and ignoble death. Now whilst I didn’t jump on the hate bandwagon, neither did I profess Christian love for them.

You see, it’s easy to love people that we feel deserve to be loved, but those that have committed the “worst” sins, we find it much easier to poor out hate. The Bible tells us that God hates all sin. No sin is tolerated. He is just as angry at the person cheating on his taxes as he is on the murderer and yet He still loves them both and wants them to be saved. He died for the tax cheats and for the murders and rapists. No less is expected of us.

I think I need to step up my game.