“Overcoming Our Fear of Love”

Last updated on: May 5, 2013 at 12:00 am by Jeff Hood

“Overcoming Our Fear of Love” 2013-05-05T00:00:02-06:00 Jeff Hood

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What is Love? Everything.

What is God? Everything.

1 John 4: 8 argues, “If you don’t know love you don’t know God for God is love.”

We are created in the image of love, the very image of God, the very image of everything. So, why can’t we love other people? Why can’t we see the God in them? Why are we so closed off? Perhaps, it has to do with the fact that we can’t find a way to love ourselves. Perhaps, the way that we view our self and the world has too many qualifications and boundaries.

Often when we travel somewhere we look for a map. The map tells us that there are certain paths to get to a certain place. The map tells us that there are certain boundaries on the map. Unfortunately, we are the ones who drew the map. When you begin to think freely as God has created us to, then life begins to look differently. We begin to realize that there are many paths to get to where we want to go. Love always goes off the trail. When you begin to think freely as God has created us to, then life starts to look differently. We begin to realize that the boundaries shouldn’t have been created in the first place. Love has no set path or boundaries. Love is love.

I can’t help but think about the immigration debate when we talk about boundaries. There is grave danger in thinking that just because you live on the other side of a line you are better than someone. Does love abide by arbitrary lines drawn by men to protect privilege?

What about human sexuality? Do you think that the God of the universe gives a shit about whether two men or two women love each other?

We are taught to love each other. When Peter slices off Malchus’ ear as Judas came to get Christ for the crucifixion, Jesus declared, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Let me translate that for you, those who live by guns will die by guns. It is hard to love anyone when there is a gun between you. I think you have an answer of where I stand in the gun debate. How many more tragedies will have to happen before we start producing love and not guns?

When we look across the world, we see bombs being built and dropped. Just a few days ago, Israel bombed Syria. The U.S. government has the capabilities to shoot a missile from a drone and never have to look at who was killed. War has become easy. Peace has become harder. Will this community be known for war or violence?

How do we start to love and move past our addictions to fear?

The journey begins with surrender. No matter when the time comes, we will all either live free or die afraid. I choose to surrender my fears and to live free in love. Love begins with surrender.

The journey then moves to our wounds. We must become cognizant of what wounds we have and what boundaries we have set if we are going to realize to what distance we must travel to love. Love is a process that begins with recognizing the limitations we have set.

The journey then progresses to our heart. Are we willing to rip our heart out so that others might have live? Do we seek to have the ever-bleeding heart of Jesus? Can we give our heart away? Love begins with discovering our heart behind our walls and being willing to give it away.

The journey is just getting started when we must make a choice of whether or not to die. Death is a scary thing, yet we are a people who believe in resurrection. Will we have the faith to die and know that God will raise us up and all around us in love? Love begins with the death of control and the birth of love.

Lastly, we must be willing to live. You cannot give love away until you are willing to live into love, until love becomes a very core part of who you are. Are you ready for a revolution of love?

Trust God.

When love takes over things start to look different, take John 3:16 for instance, “For love so loved the world that love gave love’s only begotten love that whosoever believes in love shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:16 – “Whoever lives in love lives in God.”

Amen.

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