God's Love Flows Through Many Human Channels

I found an old notebook in which I had written some notes and personal reflections back in the 80s and 90s. This stood out to me, because it connected so directly with what we have been learning about Real Love. Dr. Bernie Seigel wrote a book called Love, Medicine, and Miracles back in the early 80s. In it he talked about the importance of faith, hope, and love to healing from life-threatening diseases like cancer. This is what I wrote in my notebook in 1989.

“Dr. Bernie Siegel describes his awareness of being loved and wanted as a child. His mother suffered from severe hyperthyroidism. She was so thin that her doctor told her she could have no children. She found another doctor who agreed to go through a pregnancy with her provided she gained 30 pounds. Her Jewish mother fed her constantly. She had a traumatic delivery. The baby’s face was damaged by the forceps. “My Grandmother stepped in, anointing and stroking my face until the damage healed, relieving my mother of the distress and continuing the unconditional love. So I received the message that I was loved unconditionally.” He goes on to talk about what a power that was in his life. Then he says it was hard for him to learn that about 80% of his patients had not received unconditional love.

Real Love, unconditional love is what we all need as much as we need air. And God makes it available to all of us in Christ. He pays the price to forgive us, shows us God’s love, and makes His love flow through many human channels.

A New Chapter for New Hope

It does feel to me like we at New Hope is entering into a new chapter in our history. We began 2012 with higher attendance and larger offerings than we had been seeing. As Boyd Frank told us at our business meeting, we continue to grow and if we continue at the same rate, our worship attendance by 2015 will average 175. We have some babies and toddlers with us every Sunday and Wednesday. We want to learn how to serve their families and reach more young families, as well.

Imitation Love

Without sufficient Real Love we use getting behaviors to try to fill our emptiness with imitation love.

Lying,

Attacking,

Acting Like a Victim,

Clinging

Without sufficient Real Love we become afraid and try to protect ourselves with the protecting behaviors. Lying, Attacking, Acting Like a Victim, Running

As Christians, we have the great challenge and wonderful gift of receiving God’s Real Love into ourselves so that we are not empty and afraid. Our calling is not only to admire Christ, but also to become like Christ.

The writer Paul compared the process of becoming like Jesus to killing off old behaviors and learning an whole new way of living. Using the Real Love language, I would say that as we grow in our ability to be filled with Real Love, we give up our getting and protecting behaviors, stop trying to fill ourselves with imitation love.

This is the way Paul wrote about it to the Christians in Colossae:

“Now you must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. Don't be controlled by your body. Kill every desire for the wrong kind of sex. Don't be immoral or indecent or have evil thoughts. Don't be greedy, which is the same as worshiping idols. And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.

Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better.

It doesn't matter what your racial or national or religious background is, Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient.

Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.”

Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.”