Love, Christian Style

SERMON TITLE:   “Love, Christian Style”
SERMON TEXT:    Luke 6:27-38
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           February 14, 2021, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                On this Valentine’s weekend, I’m sure most of us have been thinking a lot about love.  Hopefully, most of us have had or will have opportunities to share our love with our dearest ones.  Even though we can express our affection any day of the year, it’s good that we have a holiday to remind us to do or say that little something extra that makes our love so much stronger.
                Thank goodness for Hallmark cards, right?  Because, for some of us, Valentine’s Day is like the young couple who went for a walk on a sunny day.  After they had walked a while, they sat on a park bench and listened to the birds.  Finally, Carla turned to her boyfriend and asked, “Do you think my eyes are like stars?”     “Yeah,” he replied. 
                “And do you think my teeth are like pearls?” Carla continued.  “Yeah,” he said. 
                “And do you think my hair is like spun gold in the moonlight?”  “Yeah,” he repeated. 
                “Oh, Joe!” she exclaimed.  “You say the most wonderful things!”1
                There’s another story about a couple who were very much in love.  They were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  Instead of having a big party with lots of relatives and friends, though, this couple decided to return to the hotel where they had spent their honeymoon.  Over dinner, the couple reminisced about the days when they were first married.  After they went to bed, the wife said, “Darling do you remember how you stroked my hair?”  And so he stroked her hair.  She reminded him of the way they had [held each other], and so they did.  Then, with a sigh, she whispered, “Won’t you nibble my ear again?” 
                With that, the husband got out of bed and left the room.  “Where are you going?” cried the wife.  “To get my teeth,” he said.2
                Years ago, when I was a kid, there was a series on television called “Love, American Style.”  The premise of the show was that the French didn’t have a monopoly on romance.  To prove that point, we were given, week after week, several rather silly vignettes about people who were in love, American style.
                Well, today, I’d like for us to think about what it means to love, Christian style.  While Christian love can be romantic and silly, it certainly isn’t always.  As we see in our gospel lesson from Luke 6, love, Christian style can face some pretty tough circumstances.  

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