1 John 3:18

There as been a lot of panic recently about covid-19, and that's understandable. There are a lot of unknowns involved with this outbreak, but we can't let that change who we are as Christians. In John 13:34-35 Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: To love one another as Jesus had loved them. To the disciples, this was not a shocker. Jesus had been preaching that we must all love our neighbors as ourselves for sometime. But, after Jesus gives the disciples the new commandment - He clarifies something very important. Jesus said, "By this (the new commandment) everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." If we stop loving others because we are afraid, we lose our identity. The world is in panic mode, people are hoarding toilet paper, cans of soup, and hand sanitizer. Now is our time to stand out to our neighbors and communities - but we can only do that through love. We need to remind people of the love of Christ not only through our words, but also our actions. Everyone has heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words" and in times like this it is especially true. So remember we need to keep on loving, and find new ways to share the good news everyday! Talk to you soon! - Mark