Through Eyes of Love

1 John 4:7-21 (NRSV)
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.


WHEN my little grandson, Aidan, visits, I find joy in doing the things he enjoys. However, on one visit, I was not feeling well. Pain kept me from our usual activities, and my face was weary and worn. As Aidan and I sat reading books, he suddenly looked up at me. He put a tiny hand on each side of my face and said, "Grammie, I like your face." What a blessing! My little grandson was seeing me through eyes of love.

How wonderful it is to receive unconditional love! We are wise to pause and ask ourselves if we extend the same love to others. When interacting with people who are disagreeable or unkind, seeing them through eyes of love becomes more challenging. Yet we know that Jesus commanded God's children to "love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12, KJV).

Having received God's unconditional love, we can surely forgive and love one another. We have the example of Jesus on the cross saying, "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34). We are able to forgive those who hurt us as we allow God to transform our hearts so that we see one another as God does - through eyes of love.

by Sandra Sullivan (West Virginia, USA)