If it is true that money makes the world go round, so does love. What would songwriters and film-makers do without it?
Throughout the centuries, countless men and
women have attempted and accomplished many things in the name of love
for God and humankind. Some have even made the ultimate sacrifice. For
instance, five teachers and two health workers were recently shot in
North West Pakistan simply for trying to improve the lives of their
community by administering the polio vaccine.
The many forms of social work carried out
by The Salvation Army came into being in the 1880s through its own
members’ motivation to express their love for God in practical care for
their neighbours.
Jesus put forward the question: ‘If all you
do is love the loveable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that’
(Matthew 5:46 The Message).
For more than 45 years, Mother Teresa of Calcutta sacrificially ministered to poor, sick, orphaned and dying people in India.
There are many unsung ‘Mother Teresas’
around the world. There’s even one in Bournemouth. She’s a Salvation
Army member known to homeless people there as ‘the sock lady’. Mary goes
on a weekly soup-run and has made it her practical ministry to wash the
people’s feet, make them more comfortable and give them clean socks to
wear. Like many other followers of Jesus, she is putting into practice
the Bible’s teaching: ‘Love cares more for others than for self’ (1
Corinthians 13:4).
Mary is also following the example of
Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet (see John 13:6-8), and the woman
who performed the same task for Jesus in gratitude for his changing her
outlook (see Luke 7:36-48).
In Bible days, this custom of hospitality
towards guests was a necessity after walking the dusty roads.
The song by Burt Bacharach is more relevant
than ever:
‘What the world needs now is love, sweet love/ It’s the only
thing that there’s just too little of.’
What can we do to rectify that?
UK & Ireland ~ Feb 2013 War Cry
