"God can show Himself as He really is only to real men. And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but to men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another. For that is what God meant humanity to be like; like players in one band, or organs in one body."
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
I read this the other day and wondered, is this really what the church looks like? Christ said the world would know His followers by their love. He died on the cross out of love. Paul said all other gifts were useless if he did not have love. And the two greatest commandments are orders to love. So where is this love that the Bible overflows with and what does it look like?
To me, love looks like a coarse, wooden cross weighing down on an already beaten back. Love is the blood dripping from thorns pushed deep into an aching head and nails hammered into hands and feet. Love is the gasping, rattling breath that even in such pain and abandonment forgives its enemies. Love does not look like the silver weighing down a pocket. It is not he kiss that hands a friend over to enemies. Love does not eat the body and drink the blood of one whom it betrays.
So who are we? Are we Christ or Judas? Are we always eager to love our enemies and forgive anyone who may have wronged us or do we hold grudges and talk about people behind their backs? Do we put the needs and interests of others above our own or do we expect everyone else to do what we want? As the church, the Body of Christ, we should be living as He did, "little Christs." In order to see God as He really is, Lewis suggests we should be "showing Him to one another." But I think Christians find it a lot easier to act like Judas, or even Peter, than Christ. We don't love our brothers as we should and often tear them down. Through this, we destroy our unity and our witness. What has happened to the love that the world is supposed to recognize us by? Where is the unity Christ tells us to maintain? And are we prepared to get it back?
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