In this pleasure-seeking, self-serving world in which we live, the true meaning of love has fallen victim to our own agenda.
People appear to love others so that they might personally enjoy the feeling of love, rather than loving for the sake of the other person and their needs.
Ironically, the selfless act of love has become self-serving.
In the context of division in the church community, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth with these words:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
It is a beautiful feeling to be loved by someone else, but our act of love should never be self-serving or self-seeking.
At its heart, love is about serving others, not serving ourselves.
As we are reminded of the love of God in Jesus Christ:
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:10-11)
May we and our church community be abundant in genuine love for each other.