To some people, Christianity can just seem like a huge list of rules and regulations of things that you cannot do. It raises questions about how you can possibly live your life in modern times without breaking some or all of them. It brings charges of hypocrisy that Christians say one thing yet do another, that they are always telling others off for doing the wrong things while they themselves are also breaking the laws. Then there are the incidences of us being judgmental, looking down on other people, both Christians and non-Christians for their failure to abide by the rules. Looked at it this way, Christianity can seem to be nothing more than a complex set of rules overseen by the fun police!
In our reading today, Paul reminds us that to love our neighbours is in fact the way to fulfil the Law of Moses. As far as Paul is concerned, the purpose of the Law is not to give us a means of working towards salvation but rather to reveal the nature of God and to show us how far below God’s standards we have fallen. While no one can live up to the commandments of the entire law, the entire law can be summed up in the commandment to love. If we love our neighbours, we won’t kill them or steal from them. If we love our neighbours, we will want the best for them so won’t be jealous of their achievements. If we love our neighbours, we cannot behave in a way that is prohibited by the Law. It is by loving others that we actually comply with the rules.
We believe that God is love. If Paul is correct, and the purpose of the law is meant to reveal God’s nature, then by showing love we are showing God’s nature. By showing God’s nature we are fulfilling the law. It’s really that simple. Instead of condemning others or displaying hypocrisy, instead of adopting the moral high ground and looking down on folk, maybe we’re just meant to love one another. Love is not simply an emotion, it’s a world view, an attitude, and the dominating force for our lives. When we show love to others, we show God to others and that is what evangelism is all about. There are a lot of dark places in the world and if we shine the light of God’s love into them, we bring about change. As Christians we live in the dawning of a new world, the kingdom of God. Having seen the light, we need to share it with others. We do this by showing love.