v 14. But a person who has no love is still dead.
We digress for a moment today to reflect on something else John wrote about love in a letter; to be loveless is to be effectively dead.
Now that is a pretty tough comment to make isn’t it!
And what is more, John goes on to write in verse 18, ‘Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. ‘ Love is not merely a matter of fine words but of practical action.
So I want us today to reflect on what form that practical action might take. Here are a few questions you might put to yourself.
1. Taking ‘neighbour’ in the restricted sense of living close by you: –
How well do you know your neighbours; can you talk to them easily?
Are there ways in which you help one another?
Are you friendly enough to visit one another’s homes?
Have I ever gone out of my way to help them?
Would I give or lend cash to them in an emergency?
In what ways have I ever expressed love for them?
2. Then in a wider sense, people in the community around us:-
Are there any neighbours with whom relationships are difficult? Why?
Am I aware of any difficulties my neighbours face? How might I help?
3. In the widest sense, who are my neighbours?(Think Good Samaritan)
4. Are there folk new to the neighbourhood whom I need to befriend?
And finally, set yourself some positive goal in meeting new folk and finding out how you might become a good, loving neighbour to them.
Don’t stop at good intentions!
—