We are invited to love one another as God loves us. Our invitation to abide in God is to accept his all-encompassing love, where our relationship with God is one of trust and acceptance that through Jesus we are forgiven and reconciled with God. A trust that we are loved just as we are and devoid of fear of punishment for our weakness. It is also to trust that, regardless of how dark the storms maybe, God knows where I am on the lake, he sees my struggles, and with him in my boat I have nothing to fear. Jesus commands us to love one another as he loves us. A tough act to follow, for that love is a sacrificial love in the face of betrayal, cruelty and rejection. It is well and good to accept this divine love for myself despite the times I have rejected him and betrayed him, but can I in turn be kind and show love to those who might deny or betray me? Those who wait for me to fail to take up my job? Those who take delight in my discomfort? Let us learn to love as Jesus loves us.

PRAYER: Abba Father, strengthen me to love those you bring into my life. Amen.