show me how to love like you

Trademarks, we all recognize them. My kids can't read, but if they see the golden arches, they know that Mc Donalds, complete with saturated fats and germ filled playlands is near. You see the swoosh on a billboard, and everyone knows it's Nike. Creepy green mermaid lady, starbucks is in your future.

What about Christianity? I think there is some confusion as to what should "define" a christian. Do we have a trademark? What should people see in order to say.........Oh, they must be a Christian. Moral Uprightness? Church attendance? Niceness? Political party affiliation?

While these things may indeed have their place, when you examine the life of Jesus in scripture, you see two things that are the common thread throughout the new testament..........forgiveness and love. These things ought to be the "trademark" of every christian.

John 13:34-35--" A new commandment I give you, love each other as I have loved you. Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples"

Jesus said the proof is in your love for others, not just your love for other christians. You mean I have to love people I don't agree with or even like? (see luke 6:27-36) How do I do that........they're wrong!!

Here's what I feel Christians are in danger of becoming...............People known (trademarked) by what they protest, instead of by their love. We can't go around communicating to people.....I PROTEST YOUR LIFESTYLE, I PROTEST YOUR SIN, I PROTEST YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, I PROTEST YOUR WHOLE WAY OF LIFE!!! "Your protesting of things you don't agree with will prove to the world that you are my disciples" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Protesting isn't always wrong. After all, the word protestant comes from the word protest, and Martin Luther tacking the 95 thesis on the door of the castle church in Wittneberg ushered in the protestant reformation exposing many of the clerical abuses happening in the church.
I get that, and it certainly had it's place, but the way we will reach people far from Jesus today is thru love. Show me how to love like you have loved me is a prayer every christian should include daily. I'm not saying we have to be doormats and never stand up for anything we believe in, but I am saying that Love is the hope of the world.

God is love. When we show people love, we show them God.

Here are two songs ( you know how I tend to relate everything to music) that both speak of love. Everytime I hear "bleeding love" I think of Jesus on the cross forgiving his offenders. When I get "cut open" either by someone's comments, peoples behavior, or life's events, I want to bleed love. The other song is what I think of when I see "christians" holding up picket signs that say things like "God hates fags" I'd much rather bleed love than give it a bad name.