Comedy Writer on Loving People

I read something from comedy writer Julius Sharpe yesterday.

He said, “If I’m going to obey ‘Love thy neighbor,’ I need to move.”

Funny.

And sad.

It’s funny because we feel that way too (if I’m really supposed to love my neighbors, I’m gonna need some new neighbors—‘cause there’s nothing to love about these ones).

It’s sad because we know the point of that teaching (love anyone and everyone around you) but we’re desperately looking for a way out—an exception clause, a loophole, or an excuse to justify not having to love THEM.

Speaking of loving the unlovable ones…

That’s exactly what God did with us.

He didn’t move away from us because we were unlovable.

He did the opposite—he moved into the neighborhood. (John 1.14 MSG)

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) (Ephesians 2.4, 5 NLT)

When we were at our worst, God moved into the neighborhood.

He loved us—even though there was nothing to love.

Maybe we struggle with loving unlovable “neighbors” because we’ve forgotten how unlovable we once were.

We didn’t earn God’s love. We didn’t deserve it.
?We didn’t become the target of God’s love because of how cute, cuddly, and lovable we were.

Nope. We were dead because of our sins.

We were completely unlovable.

And He loved us anyway.

Never forget that.

Because He loved us anyway, we can love others (anyway).

We don’t need to move and we don’t need new “neighbors.”

We don’t need to surround ourselves with cute, cuddly, lovable people.

There are some unlovable people who are really needing some undeserved, unearned love right now.

Will we be in the neighborhood for them?