“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34:35)

Long time ago, when I was much younger a wise friend once told me: “Paulo, God’s perfect work and perfect will are carried out by imperfect people on this earth. And yet, it is carried out”. It’s relevant to mention that this took place “a long time ago, when I was much younger”, because, when we are young we tend to be a bit more judgmental and critical and as we grow older, softer and hopefully wiser.



We see that everywhere in the Bible too: the letters of apostle Paul tends to bit more aggressive in his early writings, and softer and more compassionate in his latter years; when Jesus tells the crowd “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7), we notice that it’s the older men who walks away first, and then the younger men, perhaps again a sign that the older we get, we are simply more cognizant of our own imperfections and sins and therefore more forgiving.

I want to link this thought with a command that Jesus gave on his final days on earth:



“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34:35)

This was directed specifically to the church. Jesus is saying that we will be set apart from the world, by the way we love one other, and the world will see us as different by the way we love each other.

And how do imperfect people then, carry out the “love for one another” that will set us apart? I believe genuine forgiveness is at the center of this love. It has too. If we were perfect, there would be no need for forgiveness. Covering for each other’s imperfection and faults, forgiving the wrongs that is done against each other, because imperfect people will wrong people. I will wrong people. You will wrong people. Not once, but many times until we leave this land. The world breaks apart when that rubber meets the road, but the body of Christ, can walk and, has the opportunity to walk in opposite spirits to bring reconciliation where the world cannot. And this sets us apart. And by this the world will know we are His disciples. And by this the world will know the face and character of Jesus.



Have a great week everyone!



Paulo

