With the celebration of Valentine’s Day, February has commonly been referred to as “the month of love.” Some express their love with candy, flowers and cards while others plan a special dinner or give jewelry or other expensive items. Some even attempt to express and explain their love in personally written notes or letters. With that in mind I couldn’t help but think of Charles Schulz’ Peanuts strip concerning love where Lucy approaches Charlie Brown and declares, “You know what I don’t understand? I don’t understand love!”
Charlie simply replies, “Who does?” With that, Lucy looks at him and says, “Explain love to me, Charlie Brown.” Charlie replies, “You can’t explain love. I can recommend a book or a poem or a painting, but I can’t explain love.” Lucy immediately fires back, “Well, try, Charlie Brown, try.”
Charlie begins: “Well, let’s say I see this beautiful, cute little girl walk by…” Lucy quickly interrupts, “Why does she have to be cute? Huh? Why can’t someone fall in love with someone with freckles and a big nose? Explain that!”
Hesitating, Charlie continues: “Well, maybe you’re right. Let’s just say I see this girl walk by with this great big nose…” Lucy interrupts again, “I didn’t say GREAT BIG NOSE.” Completely dismayed, Charlie concludes, “Good grief! You not only can’t explain love – you can’t even talk about it.”
Love can be difficult to explain because it encompasses emotions that cause the lover to care deeply about the concerns and needs of the one they love. Yet it goes much further than emotions because love demonstrates itself through actions. As someone aptly noted, “Saying you love someone is an empty phrase until you show that love in your actions.”
Many may not realize it, but the Bible is a love story. It not only speaks about God’s love for us, but explains it to us in the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16); “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this – while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
You can never really know and express love until you have experienced love. In the same way, you can never really know God until you have experienced his love. In a month that highlights love, take the time to experience God’s love for you in Christ. Then you will not only be able to explain love, but you will be able to talk about it as well.
In His Love,
Pastor Bill