A TIME FOR LOVE

A TIME FOR LOVE
Monday, November 2, 2026 by Linda Wood Rondeau

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

(John 13:35 KJV)

Jill looked over the table arrangements for her wedding reception. Group A could not be near Group C. The two families had been feuding for years over an unreturned crock pot. After several hours of juggling seating arrangements, Jill could only hope the whole reception would not come crashing down with familial conflict.

All too often, members of God’s family can’t stand to be in the same room with one another, let alone sit in the same pew. Is it any wonder churches are emptying? If we want a fight, we can stay home.

Why do believers argue over what flavor of cream to serve at the ladies tea when millions are hungry? Why do we harp on the length of the sermon when souls hunger for the bread of life? How is it we’ve lost the ability to truly love one another in spirit and in deed as the Bible says we should?

One day, I happened upon the second chapter of Acts. The heading in my Bible reads, The Fellowship of the Believers. The verses pricked my critical spirit. Can I say I truly love my fellow parishioners when I point a finger at their unlovely ways? I wondered what a church might accomplish today if the principles in this chapter were experienced with the same vibrancy as in the pioneer church.

According to Gray’s commentary, these verses sum up the early history of the infant Church. Like all infants, these first Christians stayed close to what gave them comfort. He states that they kept close to holy ordinances and abounded in piety and devotion. Gray purports that the miracle of Pentecost raised the first believers above the petty turmoil of the world to heights of achievement and purpose.

This is what gave the early church clarity. Not nitpicking over their neighbor’s new outfit, but rather being totally focused on the redemptive work of Christ. As they allowed the Holy Spirit to fill them, love formed from what they had in common. Temporal possessions became less important because their zeal veered toward heavenly concerns.

This is also what made the church attractive. Not the buildings, not a political agenda, not the caliber of the worship team, not the stunning carpet, not even the seeker-friendly format of worship. What brought the people into the ever-burgeoning fold was simply the power of the sheep to love one another. Their primary focus is seen in their behavior. They devoted themselves not just to study but to each other.

I can’t imagine that a billion or so believers could huddle together in a solitary shed and share supper. Even a potluck dinner would be cumbersome. But I do believe that the same attitude can be found within our individual houses of worship that can splash the body as a whole and spill over into the world with a cleansing beauty. And the possibility exists even today for the outsider to point to a group of worshippers and say, “Look, see how they love one another!”

My prayer is that we will not just set aside those issues that divide us but let them melt away in the glory of the cross. Then, and only then, can we take up our mission and move the church forward.

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