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I have called you friends … You did not choose me, but I chose you … This is my command: Love each other. (abr.) John 15:16-17 

In life we have many choices. When we want to paint our home, we have a whole color deck of choices. We can choose the exact hue of any given color. There are so many choices it can become overwhelming. How do we know we are making the right choice? It’s the same thing in life. We can pick and choose and fashion our lives just as we see fit. We have many, many choices in lifestyle, habits, vocation, and friends. 

It's different with Jesus. We are friends with Jesus because Jesus chooses us. We have faith because Jesus chooses us. And Jesus doesn’t give us any choices when it comes to living out our faith. He told his disciples, “This is my command: Love each other.” That is crystal clear. We have no choice as Jesus’ disciples today. He calls us to love each other. That is how we live out our faith. If we followed this command faithfully, our world would be a different place. According to Jesus, loving other people is not a choice. It’s an imperative.  

Reflect on our friend, Jesus’ words, “This is my command: Love each other.” And let’s pray asking God what that looks like in our lives, our church, our communities and our world. 

Choose love, Pastor Andrea