1 Peter 1:21-23

“Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.” vs. 22

When the Christian community was established in Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus they were known for the deep love that they had for one another. And when missionaries like Paul brought the good news of Jesus to distant lands, that same characteristic was observed. Peter refers to that observation in his letter to those who were exiled by the Dispersion, the scattering of Jews to the ends of the Empire in response to the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies. Allegiance to the gospel always results in mutual love among believers, and Peter encouraged them to keep on loving one another deeply from the heart.

We know what that looks like. Many of us came to faith in congregations that were exactly like this, and now seekers are looking for communities where they can experience that same love. Broken humans need one another, not for correction or admonition, but for deep and abiding love, and that’s the primary gift believers have to offer the lonely and alienated.

It’s wonderful for a congregation to have a mission plan, and marketing strategies can often be effective, but if we’re not loving one another from the heart, even clever slogans fall on deaf ears. Saying “All Are Welcome” on our signage means nothing if visitors can’t sense love in what we say and do!

Thought for the Day: How can congregations demonstrate deep mutual love?