Scripture: 1 John 3:16–18 (NRSV)
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”
Reflection:
Love is one of the most familiar words in our faith, and one of the easiest to treat as abstract. We talk about love, sing about love, pray about love. But scripture keeps urging us to go deeper, asking not just what we believe about love but what love looks like when it shows up. In this letter, the writer of 1 John refuses to let love stay theoretical. Love, they insist, has a body. It takes shape in real lives, real choices, and authentic moments of presence.
The love we see in Jesus isn’t distant or just symbolic. It’s experienced. It nourishes people. It listens attentively. It stays with those others avoid. It crosses boundaries and risks misunderstanding. Love isn’t just a feeling Jesus has toward the world; it’s the way he moves through it. And the writer makes it clear: if faith is rooted in that kind of love, it will eventually become visible. Not perfect. Not dramatic. But real.
This week encourages us to notice where love is already beginning to form in our lives. Often, it doesn’t come as a big invitation, but as a gentle nudge: to reach out, to stay present, to respond rather than withdraw. Faith appears when love becomes more than just intention; when it turns into action guided by grace. Not because we have to, but because love, once received, longs to be lived.
Practice:
Today, select one small, meaningful act of love. It could be sending a message, offering patience, fully showing up in a conversation, or helping without being asked. Don’t overthink it. Just notice what love is already calling you to do—and respond.
Journaling Prompt:
Where does love seem abstract in my life right now, and where might it be asking to become concrete?
Prayer:
God of living love, you did not love us from a distance, but stepped into our lives with grace and compassion. Help us embrace that love deeply — not as pressure, but as possibility. Open our eyes to where love is already moving within us, and give us the courage to let it take shape in our words, our choices, and our presence. May our faith show up in ways that heal and connect. Amen.