By Bishop Durrell Watkins, DMin
St. Paul wrote in the mid-first century, “There are three things that endure: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.”
February is known as the month of love, but it may be a good time to remember that love is more than romance. Indeed, love is what we need most right now in this time of aggression, cruelty, and dwindling empathy.
Scripture relates to us the necessity of love. One ancient teacher wrote, “A [true] friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17.17). We also read that love requires action: “Dear ones, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth” (1 John 3.18).
Jesus reportedly said that his friends and followers could be identified by their lovingness; “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13.35).
Quoting the Torah Jesus taught “Love your neighbor” and in the Sermon on the Mount, he even encouraged the faithful to love their enemies!
My favorite statement about love in the bible is very simply, “God is love” (1 John 4.8, 16).
The LGBTQ community has worked hard to protect the right to celebrate love. We of all people know Love’s healing power.
There’s a lot of hatred in the world, but we have the antidote. It’s just love, and we are the lovers.
Durrell Watkins holds a Doctor of Ministry degree, is an auxiliary bishop of the Global Justice Institute, and is the Senior Minister of Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale.
