Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34,35)

The first and greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

How do we love one another and love our neighbor as ourselves?

He told the parable of the Good Samaritan to answer the question of who was our neighbor: the one who had mercy on the man in need. (Luke 10:37)

We are surrounded by people who are in need. Everyone of us is in need of love. Everyone of us has needs that are personal to us. As we age our needs become more prominent. We have aches and pains. We have griefs of lost loves, of loved ones that we have lost. Of children, family or friends who have drifted away from us or we have neglected. We suffer from loneliness, from isolation, from anxieties about our living conditions, of not being able to take care of ourselves as we used to, of being abandoned, of the self-absorption of others, of feeling forgotten or discouraged. How do we love one another in these circumstances?

One of the ways we can have mercy on others is to notice them and engage with them in one way or another.

One of the first things I did when I came to the Chapel was to institute a greeting in worship. I would invite the congregation to greet one another and introduce themselves to some they didn’t know. Some people resisted it. A prominent member of the congregation complained that it was Howdy Doody time, reflecting back to a children’s television program years ago. I suggested to another member who didn’t like it to feel free to go to the rest room while it happened so she didn’t have to participate. It is hard for people who are shy, or introverted, to reach out to others but how do you love one another if you stay isolated in your own cocoon. John Wesley said that there is no such thing as solitary religion. We are meant to develop a Christian community and not just worship as individuals.

To love one another we have to make eye contact and not avoid seeing one another. We have to learn to smile to one another and be friendly. For a long time there was resistance to having name tags but when I insisted it proved to be very valuable in learning each other’s names. Antoinette is very good at engaging those who serve us in restaurants, shops and supermarkets in a personal way. People generally respond positively when they are greeted. What a difference it can make if you take an interest in someone else. To know that someone cares enough for you to speak to you is to love your neighbor.

Jesus reached out to the people he encountered. He was a healing presence to those around him. He knew what was in them, their troubles, their sorrows, their pains, their griefs. As he has loved so we must love if we are his disciples. Ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of love for others.