The following piece was first written for the May 3, 2026 pew sheet at St Augustine’s Anglican Church. I share it here again in the hope that it may continue to encourage and bless.
It has often beed said that love is not merely a noun, but a verb. While love is indeed something we speak of, it is, above all, something we show. For love to be real and genuine, it must be expressed in action, not simply declared with words. This is true in every sphere of life – our love for God, for family, and for one another. God himself is our supreme example. As we read in John 3:16, 'God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.' Love is seen in giving, in sacrifice, in action. The apostle John echoes this truth: 'This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.' And then he adds the implication for us: 'We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters' (1 John 3:16). As we reflect on the life of the church, love stands at its very heart. It is one of the clearest marks of a true Christian community and of a life transformed by Christ. Where genuine love is present, there is something deeply attractive and life-giving. Conversely, where love is absent, it is often a sign that something is not as it should be. One of the beautiful realities of the local church is that it is a gathering of believers, each expressing love in different ways. Together, this creates a rich and powerful testimony. Some serve through music, others through hospitality, pastoral care, teaching, or leadership. Each act of service, offered in love, contributes to the building up of the body. As we continue together as the church, may we be encouraged to love not only in word, but in deed and truth – serving, caring and strengthening one another. In doing so, we reflect Christ to one another and to the world, and we participate in the growth and flourishing of his body here at St Augustine's.
