In families, love looks like two white-haired sisters giving physical and emotional care to their sister for long months after illness left her unable to move or speak. Love looks like two sisters giving emotional and financial support for years to their sister when her depression and mental illness spiral into abusive fury against them and anyone else who tries to help her.
In community, love looks like four churches opening their doors on winter nights for our neighbors without housing, with hot meals and volunteer support by additional congregations and staffing by Greensboro Urban Ministry. It looks like countless nonprofits and neighborhood groups working to expand opportunities for health, housing, education, and safety when business-as-usual leaves out families and fragile individuals. And it looks like tirelessly organizing people to speak up for safe rental conditions when landlords don’t comply with repair orders.
In state and nation, love looks like courageous elected officials and experienced public servants steadfastly pursuing policies for sound governance that provides stability and opportunities for all, balancing power among legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
In the world, love looks like millions of voices in ours and every land for peace and for care for our planet Earth. It looks like hundreds of thousands of rescue workers and medical teams and logistic experts responding to violence and epidemics and famine and weather disasters, despite the dangers and horrendous suffering. It looks like fighting pollution and supporting clean energy.
Unselfish love confronts hate and retribution; the backlash is vicious. This week, Christians celebrate the birth of the King of Love in a stable, which was followed soon afterwards by jealous King Herod in a palace slaughtering all the baby boys in town to assure the death of his perceived enemy. Sound familiar?
Did we really think that love is naïve sweetness and risk-free civility? Our families are torn apart by past trauma, our city voted to prohibit sleeping outside buildings despite freezing weather, and our state legislature and federal government are stripping guardrails. It takes more than polite smiles to love all our neighbors as ourselves.
One of my favorite hymns says, “O shame to us who rest content while lust and greed for gain in street and shop and tenement wring gold from human pain, and bitter lips in blind despair cry ‘Christ has died in vain!’”
Rather than resting content while others suffer, we have to push back, in love, against every destructive force that provokes fear, separates families, pollutes atmosphere, and leaves people out in the cold. It won’t be comfortable or immediately successful to choose love, but do we really want hate and retribution?
During this season of power grabs and complacency, unselfish love looks like more than a hundred people in the General Assembly, shining lights on the House and shouting “Shame” when a majority overrode the governor’s veto of so-called hurricane relief. This bill may actually increase the likelihood of climate disasters by changing appointments to the NC Utility Commission that has already failed to require Duke Energy to come clean on pollution.
During this stressful season, encourage family members who are caring for difficult family members and listen when they want to vent. Speak up, volunteer, and collaborate with local organizations dedicated to helping transform hate into love. Help faith communities and nonprofit organizations to consider additional opportunities to address community housing problems. Communicate with elected officials about the positive or negative impact of their policies. Contribute financially to national organizations that work around the globe to protect vulnerable people and planet, as they provide medical care in war zones and mitigate pollution and take legal action against violations of international law. Love is the only thing that overcomes hate.
September 19, 2025
Holy Spirit, Greensboro 