“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action”-1 John 3:16-18
At a young age, I started to realize something that was happening a decent amount at my house. There were meals being made, the house will smell absolutely amazing, then the food was gone. As a young boy, I was incredibly confused about the situation. Where did the food go, why does it smell so good? Why am I not eating any of it?
As I asked my mom and dad about this, they taught me a lesson that I pray I can live out for the rest of my life. My mom told me that yes, she did make a meal earlier that day, and yes, I was smelling her cookies, and yes, it is not in our home anymore. She had delivered to a member from church who had just had a surgery. She told me that since she was able to make the food and the other person needed to rest and heal, this is a way she could share love with this person.
As a little boy, that really hit me. My parents just taught me about loving my neighbor as myself in an incredibly real way, it even included cookies! Friends, if we see someone who is in need and we have the time, talent, or treasure to help them and care for them. Let us go, be and do in love as Christ as called us to. May we be the Church as the ELCA says it: “God’s Work. Our Hands.”
“God, help my eyes and ears to be tuned to the needs of my neighbor. Give me strength and courage to discern when how to best love my neighbor. Amen”
Jay Kiel
