“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 ESV
My trip to Belgium became a trip of love. Everyone we encountered had the same message: love above all else. That was even the moto of our hotel as well.
Here are a few examples. Right after my mom’s funeral, my family and I were all still crying. My cousin, who had come to the funeral as well, succeeded in making us laugh. That is so like my cousin. He always makes me laugh. This is his way to show love.
The undertaker who spread my mom’s ashes also showed love. He stayed with us after the ceremony, sharing stories. He had read a beautiful poem early in the ceremony. When he found out how much it meant to us, he ripped the page from his book and gave it to us.
The people who owned the vacation apartments where we were staying also showed us love. The last evening before we left, they invited us into their home and offered us something to drink. We shared stories and had a nice visit.
Even the lady who worked for Western Union showed us love. We had received a parking ticket, and the only way to pay was through a bank transfer. Since we do not have a Belgian bank account, we went to Western Union for help. The lady tried to help us through the official Western Union channels, but the transaction wouldn’t work. Instead, she paid our fine from her personal Belgian bank account.
We moved for one night to Leuven, closer to the airport, as our flight back to Canada would leave early in the morning. We had a little extra time to explore the city, and we set out with a map. Unfortunately, what we were looking to find didn’t seem to line up well with our map, and as we were trying to orient to the map, a university student peaked over our shoulders. My wife, whose attention was figured on the map, thought it was our son. It’s only when he gave us directions that she realized her error. We were both surprised that a total stranger would be willing to help us. We were quite impressed!
It is true that in this life many grumble and complain, and we can easily conclude that everyone thinks only about themselves. However, if we pay attention, we will find a lot of people all around us who show love.
The question remains, are we grumblers? Or are we spreading genuine love? This is what Jesus did. He was all about love. “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.” Philippians 2:1-3 (MSG)
When someone dies, it’s quite easy to conclude that love is way more important than anything else. Wouldn’t it be nice to show our loved ones what love looks like before they pass away? And what if we showed strangers true love as well? If we were to do so, we would truly be walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him…” Col 2:6 ESV
Rob Chaffart