“Human love constructs its own image of the other person, of what he is and what he should become. It takes the life of the other person into its own hands. Spiritual love recognizes the true image of the other person which he has received from Jesus Christ; the image that Jesus Christ Himself embodied and would stamp upon all men.” pg 36
I must confess that I am often guilty of constructing false images of others in my perceptions of who they are. I wonder, how often do we accept others into our communities based on who we want them to be rather than the truth of who they are. On the flip side, how often to we reject others for the same reason? Essentially, we tend to establish our communities by the acceptance or rejection of false characters who are created not by the reality of who people are but rather by the perceptions that we have of them.
If we truly want to learn how to love with the love of God, we must be willing to see one another with the same keen eyes that God sees. Are we willing to see brokenness and filth in one another while at the same time recognizing the value and work of redemption that is taking place? Father, give us your eyes that we may see one another with loving eyes in light of the reality of the work that you are doing in each of our lives.
anothervapor 