While super important, this issue is completely misunderstood. Before explaining my viewpoint, here is what I disagree with: First, never accept someone telling you or someone else they love them as an indicator of love. I can serenade a can of soup while hugging it and proclaiming my undying love. But it will just be me only using the soup for myself and throwing the can in the garbage.
Some suppose that supporting same-sex marriage is a litmus test for neighborly love. But many people have religious objections. So, to them, *opposing* same-sex marriage would be more loving. Second, it does NOT equate to marriage equality, as 1,000% more straight men are deprived of marriage since no woman would marry them. This remains unaddressed. Thirdly, marriage does NOT equal love. Many people only marry for financial support, social status, to assuage guilt, or to have children. Some have murdered their spouses for insurance money. The slogan “Love is love” is a circular reasoning fallacy and vacuous presupposition.
Now for what I partially agree with, partly not: Equating neighborly love with accepting people as they are. I quote “They don’t try to change you. They love your quirks and differences, your dreams and desires.” Amen to accepting everyone’s quirks and harmless differences. Very few do, which must CHANGE. However, we should NOT accept anyone’s particulars if they are immoral or accept anyone’s idiosyncrasies that are foolish to the point of self-harm. Most people do when they should not. This also must change.
Love’s common basic definition: having a strong affectionate feeling for someone. And since nobody can read minds, true feelings can be disguised. Therefore, most people profess to be loving, when most are fake. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). And we cannot determine that anyone has love by the feeling definition. So, truly loving your neighbor should include interacting with them in very uplifting ways on an ongoing basis.
But helping someone while harming or taking advantage of them in any way, including making fun of them, is NOT loving them. Doing it under coercion, doing it to feel superior, doing it to look good in the eyes of others, or doing so to make money doesn’t count as loving your neighbor either. (1st Corinthians 13:1-7) Ongoing support of others while expecting nothing in return is the only reliable indicator of loving thy neighbor.
But even if you follow said righteousness yet later cut off a neighbor for an assumed slight, you have reverted to failure. Loving thy neighbor is absolutely essential to true followers of Christ (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27). And neighbors are not just those who live next door to you. Jesus helped explain who one’s neighbor is. Luke 10:29-37.
*****My posts organized according to subject=
https://wordpress.com/settings/taxonomies/category/kcsunbeam.wordpress.com
K C Sunbeam 