June 18 – Love Without Hypocrisy

Romans 12:9 says . . . Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

To which part of the Beatitudes could these instructions pertain? Certainly the meek bring their love into the light of the truth. Is my love evil in its selfishness and controlling tendency? Do I cling to the hope that I may learn to love for love’s sake . . . for Jesus’ sake?

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) The purity of love is the quality of loving that God showed . . . while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

It might help us, here in Cor Unum, to come to term with the fact that most of us love and fell in love and register love in juxtaposition to how it FEELS, EFFECTS, COMFORTS, STRENGTHS, SUSTAINS, NURTURES, and CAJOLES us. Rarely do we fall in love with somehow who does not make us feel stronger or more comfortable or nurtured or just . . . “in love.”

Now . . . we’re here. Married. Set into a church. Parents. Love is what we do . . . supposedly. Can we ever remove the last vestiges of hypocrisy? Well of course we can!

We just have to make sure we keep HATING.

He loves best, perhaps, who most hates the evil of selfishness, jealousy, indifference, laziness, and greed as he discovers it in HIMSELF . . . and who loves to show the love of God in patience, kindness, without hautiness or rudeness toward others. It may take awhile. It may take a lifetime. Most marriages and most churches will endure, however, it those involved will keep heading in a L.U.C.I.E. direction, away from lethargy, unbelief, complaining, idolatry and excess.

“Dislike” won’t be enough. To love really well, there are a few things we must hate, and it would be wise, here in the monastery of the heart, to begin today.


"Love Lives Here"
photo by Kerry