Misplaced Anger - Misplaced Love

We often confuse the feeling of Christian "love" for someone with a feeling of:

1. Pity for them.
2. Humanitarianism- or a love of Mankind.
3. Altruism, or self denial, and
4. Sentimentalism or wanting to be with others.

** These concepts of “love" have been re-enforced over and over again in the Bible through one story or another.

What Jesus actually said was something much more basic and infinitely harder to achieve.

The historical Jesus did not urge us to love Mankind or to feel pity for someone else. He did not tell us to deny ourselves for someone else's sake, or flagellate ourselves, or even to enjoy another’s company!

What He did say was pure and simple and straight to the point, "Love one another.” This sort of love is not the altruistic love of Mankind, nor the possessive love for our mate, but rather something, that requires hard work, tenacity, and sacrifice.

It is easy to love your wife or husband, child or parent, but to love your neighbor (or stranger) is a task that is never ending and always requires effort. It is a love that seems to have no immediate benefit and therefore not practiced by many people.

However, in the long run, this is what will make Humanity rise up to its potential and approach what Jesus referred to as the "Kingdom of God.” (Father)

This was not something that is to be expected in the near, or far, future. Rather, it was a state of being that is present at this time, and only has to be observed and followed in order to achieve a state of Grace.

Allan W. Janssen is the author of the book "The Plain Truth About God-101" (What the church doesn't want you to know!)