When we talk about loving others, it’s important to remember that love is an action, not a feeling or an emotion. We show others who Jesus is by carrying what’s in our hearts into motion. 

Now, love in action may look like caring for the poor and feeding those in need, but most significantly, it is demonstrated by building deep and bonded relationships with people who are otherwise disconnected and lonely. In this increasingly isolated world, the greatest thing you can do for your neighbor is to show them that they’re worthy of love and belonging; to prove to them that when they are with you, they are safe. At times this means that you will have to tell it like it is and be honest and straight with them, but it also means that with you, they’re going to experience something they don’t get anywhere else — a friend who’s present, gentle, caring, honest, and who loves unconditionally. 

My friend, you are the kind of person who shows other people the acceptance, compassion, grace, and mercy of God and in so doing, you transform the world, one relationship at a time. By being the friend who doesn’t force others to walk on eggshells in your presence, you become a haven of rest and a living, breathing example of the powerful love of Jesus in the world.