Can’t We All Just Get Along

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

Day 1 in the new worship center.

This last Saturday was the first worship service in our new location.  In many ways it was the same as all of our previous “first” services.  But this was the first time we have been in a place that truly felt to me like a gift from God.  The building had not been rented in a long time and needed a lot of work.  There would be a lot of work to do before we could move in, but the more we prayed, the more it seemed clear that God was calling us to this particular location.

So the work began.  An expert had to be called in to bring the air conditioner back to life.  A glass contractor installed a new entry door.  Electricians were needed to bring power back to old sockets.  A carpet layer brought in his crew to cover the concrete floor.  The place was crawling with contractors and tradesmen for several weeks.

The new lobby ready to welcome members and guests.

Crossroads members were also busy amongst and between the professional workers.  Every wall needed fresh paint.  The bathrooms needed some serious cleaning.  New furniture had to be assembled from flat-pack boxes.  Screens had to be hung for the video projectors and cabling for the sound system placed above the ceiling tiles.

I arrived on Friday evening with really only one task; hang several fire extinguishers on the walls in appropriate locations.  I had an idea about where they should all be, so that it wouldn’t be too far to get one and they would be in locations where it would be easy to install the hanging brackets.  I wasn’t in a particularly good mood after a long work week.  The last thing I wanted to do was talk with other people about where they thought the fire extinguishers should go.  I had my ideas and I just wanted to be left alone to put them where I thought best.  Then I found several locations moved for me, and discovered I had to go get new hardware after a couple problems with my mounting brackets.

First worship service in our new facility.

Sometime between a run to the hardware store, and hanging my last extinguisher, I started to feel a spiritual conviction that I wasn’t loving my fellow church members that were also there working hard.  I tried to push the feeling away.  After all, I wasn’t swearing like many workmen are known to do.  I wasn’t throwing things at people that got too close.  I wanted to believe that I could keep my grumpy attitude to myself and still be “loving” on the outside.  But in the end I had to submit.  Jesus calls me to a higher standard.  Love is not just keeping a bad attitude from spilling out.  It is being, well, loving.  It’s hard work and I need more practice.