How my t-shirt reminded me about loving each other

I was at the grocery store in Hutchinson last week, picking up a few essentials to stock our pantry up for the duration of the sickness that’s still hanging on at my house. So there I was in the pasta aisle, debating the merits of one brand of whole wheat spaghetti versus another, and this lady comes up to me.

“Hey!” she says.

I don’t know this girl. She’s a complete stranger, though generally I’ve found that people in Hutchinson are pretty friendly.

“I love your Doctor Who shirt!”

And that’s when I remembered what I was wearing. My brother bought me this awesome Doctor Who shirt, and I love it. I wear it all the time.

This complete stranger saw it and immediately identified me as a fan, which I am. So she had no second thoughts about commenting on it and then going on to tell me about a web site where you can find all sorts of cool shirts (I fully intend to check it out).

The Doctor Who fandom is more of a culture than anything else. This encounter with a random stranger makes me smile because I’ve done the same thing before, whenever I see others wearing Doctor Who hats or scarves. It’s fun to spot other Whovians because it means I’m part of a really geeky family, one that understands why bananas are good and bow ties are cool.

But can you really tell all that by what somebody’s wearing? Can you really find common ground with someone just because they’re wearing a silly shirt or a funny hat? With Doctor Who or other fandoms, generally, yes, it’s that easy. But it’s not just fictional universes where this happens either.

The TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) from BBC’s Doctor Who

Today’s verses are John 13:34-35.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

This is Jesus talking to his disciples at the Last Supper, mere hours before He would be arrested, sentenced at a show trial, and crucified unjustly.

The commandment that Jesus is talking about here is one of the most difficult to keep in all the Bible: Love each other. Not tolerate each other. Not put up with each other. Love each other.

And note that Jesus isn’t talking about loving our enemies here. He’s not talking about loving others who don’t believe. No, He’s talking to a room full of His disciples. Love each other.

In my experience, the hardest people to truly love have been other Christians. Why? Well, there are a host of reasons, but I think a lot of it is that we expect so much from other believers that when they screw up, we think withholding our love will teach them a lesson. But Jesus never says it’s our job to punish another Christian because they can’t be perfect. It’s our job to love regardless.

Granted, love looks different from person to person. In some instances, love means being there for someone. In other instances, love means stepping back. But the motivation always remains the same.

This is so important because it’s the only way the world can identify us as Christians. It has nothing to do with whether or not you go to church. It has nothing to do with how you dress or how you speak. It has nothing to do with whether you’ve been sprinkled or dunked. Do you want to be identified as a Christ-follower? Love each other.

A Christian who loves without hesitation is as obvious to the world as a TARDIS-blue t-shirt to Doctor Who fan. Maybe the world can’t put a name to what you are, but they will know you’re different. You’ll be a shining light on a hill that nobody can ignore, even if they try.

And when you meet someone who loves others the same way you do, immediately you’ll have common ground. It’s happened to me before. I can know nothing about the person I’m sitting next to, but in watching them love other people, I instantly find something to talk about. Sure, I’m shy, but I love to talk about Jesus and what He’s doing in the world and in my life.

So make the choice to love people, especially other Christians. It changes you, and it changes the way others see you.

Don’t fear your troubles

When you’re going through a difficult time, do you find it comforting or annoying to talk to someone who has been through the same experience? Maybe it depends on the person and maybe it depends on how they talk about it, because in many instances I love gleaning wisdom and advice from someone who has walked a similar path. But in some instances it grates on my nerves to have someone telling me they know exactly how I feel.

Generally speaking, though, when I’m down or at a loss for words, I really appreciate having someone close who knows what I’m going through. And I hope that I’ve been the kind of friend who can offer advice and encouragement to others who are experiencing troubles similar to what I’ve weathered.

Pines and cedars along the road at Safe Haven Farm, Haven, KS

Today’s verses are 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

There are no accidents in our lives. Like I posted yesterday, God has a plan for everything, so that means no coincidences. The place we work, the people we meet, the circumstances we encounter–it’s all a part of something bigger, and there’s a reason for it.

The difficult part is remembering that fact in the thick of it.

Life has trouble. Life has lots of trouble, and each of us is going to hit bumps and potholes that jar us and trip us and send us tripping over our own feet. We’re going to get scrapes and bruises. We’re going to stub our toes and break our nails. We’re going to face sadness and discouragement and depression and fear.

But none of that will kill us. At least, it doesn’t have to. And if you choose not to let those circumstances be the end of your life and instead choose to see them as stepping stones, your life will be so much better. And then, something amazing happens.

One day, you’ll be talking to someone you thought you knew, and you’ll discover that they’re getting ready to go through the same things you did. Those same things in your life that taught you how good God is and how faithful and how awesome. Those same things that helped your faith grow so big and so strong that nothing can shake your trust in God.

You’re going to find people all around you who are going through the same things you did. Maybe not exactly the same, but the emotions will be the same. The fears will be the same. The results will be the same. And then you’ll have the opportunity–the responsibility–to reach out and tell your story. Because if God can be faithful to you, He can be faithful to anyone.

And I promise there is nothing in the world that can compare to sharing your story with someone else and watching their faith and relationship with God grow as a result. In that moment, you become so much more than just a child of God; you get to be a real, tangible part of what He’s doing in other people’s hearts.

So don’t scorn the trouble in your life. Don’t run away from it. And don’t get angry at God. He’s going to help you through it, and after He does, you’re going to know Him so much better than before. And then, you can help other people get to know Him too.

Because what else is the Christian life about if it’s not introducing people to Christ? And how better to do it than to tell the story of how you faced the impossible with God at your side and made it through?