Is Love Seasonal?

"Each season has its own wonder, its own special place and purpose in the pattern of creation."  - Anonymous

It is January in Texas, a time of pure unpredictability.  One day the wind blows strong and the cold bites hard; the next day, springtime temperatures.  New grass, like bright green peach fuzz covers the face of old man winter and makes him feel adolescent again.  But inevitably the storms will blow in stealing away the energy and warmth to expose the old man for who he truly is. 

Winter is actually one of my favorite seasons.  I suspect it is because we have such brutal summers.  Even though my feet stay cold most of the time and bitter north winds make me shiver, I welcome the reprieve it affords.  There is nothing like sitting by a roaring fire, tons of fluffy, warm covers on the bed, soup for dinner, hot coffee, and the sound of a strong cold wind rattling the windows.  I can find joy and goodness in the winter because I am blessed to have the resources that keep me safe and warm.

I often think about those who have no resources to stay warm in the winter.  I feel like I should try and do something about it, try to help them in some way.  So I donate a coat to Coats for Kids, possibly give money for blankets or coats for the homeless.  Then I wonder, is that enough?  No, I don’t think so.  There is a part of me that longs to REALLY reach out to them, offer what I have been given to help.  Then I turn over in my warm bed and go to sleep and all but dismiss the idea…

Fear.  There is something really scary about putting oneself out there, mingling with those who live in the streets, giving your time and story to someone who it may, or may not, make a difference to.  Yet Jesus came and spent most of his time with people just like these.  “The least of these” are the ones he referred to when he said “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  In fact, you should know the whole story:

Matthew 25:31-46  (NIV)

    ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

   ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

   ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

   ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

   ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

God’s love is not seasonal.  It is a constant stream of warmth and goodness that never is shed away with the seasons.  With every life he creates he assigns a purpose, to love Him and to love others as we do ourselves, and that includes even “the least of these”. 

I think it may be time to do more.  I want to be on the “right” side.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13: 35-36