Love in Chaos and Crisis
So here we are Royals, another year again and we are grateful… I hope. We’ve had a tumultous time of it I admit, we still are. Many have stepped into the new year cautious, uncertain and afraid to make any firm commitments least it gets cast against the stone of the unexpected. The past year has forced our hands in many ways, pushing us to spend time with family, to get creative with our jobs and what we are doing for the Lord. I imagine, it’s not quite what any of us would have expected and in our depression, annoyance and anger it may have become quite difficult to see each other clearly. How ironic, that the year of 20/20 vision turned out to be so blurry, so distorted with uncertainty.
This year however, I want to encourage us to use this time to truly see each other. Last year many of us started the year so focused on vision for goals and dreams and plans, and something as crazy as a worldwide pandemic forced us to look closer, we had no choice but to look closer. To look at each other. Yet, in our closeness many of us grew restless and uncomfortable with the expectations of connection, many of us may have come to realize that we are not very good at connecting with each other after all, not as good as we were at connecting with our own desires. So instead of truly connecting in empathy and compassion and love, many became acquainted with finger pointing, blaming, anger… instead of building each other up many took this opportunity to tear down and to hurt, instead of drawing closer many took the opportunity to walk away. I’m not saying that walking away is bad or confronting is wrong, sometimes you do need to walk away from toxic relationships and confront unkindness. But today I want to encourage a genuine turning towards among the royal family of Christ.
Jesus encouraged us to love one another:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35.
How many of us have unresolved conflict with a family member, how many of us have turned away from a brother or sister in the faith in anger, how many of us have ignored or taken a loved one for granted amidst everything that has happened this past year? If this is true of you, it’s understandable, internal crisis and chaos has a way of pushing others away… but it shouldn’t.
Gary Chapman’s popular “Speaking the Love Languages” book and work, is pretty popular, the aim of it is to help us to love each other better. It’s not just applicable to couples but to family, to parents and their children, to siblings and close friends. In the family of faith, let us speak the language of love louder than before. At the core of Chapman’s work is the importance of knowing yourself and others, more specifically knowing how you and the ones you love, prefer to receive love. More and more, we need to ask ourselves, how are my actions towards this person communicating to them how much I truly care about them. Is it a phone call, an emotionally present text, a small gift, or an act of kindness and support? Is it some quality time where you sit and truly listen, so you can truly know where their heart or mind is? Is it an affectionate hug, handshake or a good natured elbow knock? How can we communicate to others that they are seen by us and that they are loved? Even if we may not agree on certain things or support certain things, compassion does not need to be sacrificed on the altar of indignation or disapproval.
So dear Royals, Do you boast and act in pride? Do you dishonor others with your words and actions and in your mind? Even so, do you seek your own above others, become easily angry, delighting in the failures of another, while keeping a record of all their wrongs? Or are you the one who is patient and is kind, the one who rejoices in truth and goodness, the one who protects another, who trusts another, who is hopeful and whose love is enduring?
Welcome to 2021, we can try to ignore it, but its here. What we can do is make the best of every opportunity that God gives to us to love well. Where everything else may fail or grow stagnant love can remain, love can thrive. It is our duty and in our nature as kingdom citizens of Christ to make it happen.
Kelly is the founder of Royalty Press United. Author of the Gemstone Royals fantasy series, Twist of Faith and Crossroads. Counseling psychologist, proud Grenadian and devoted follower of Christ.
