Whom should we love? Should we love people with dirty nails and rotten teeth? Should we love those who seem repulsive to us? Should we love those with dreaded skin diseases? Should we love lepers? Should we love beggars on the streets? Or should we love only those who seem beautiful to us? Should we love only those who seem clean to us? Should we love those who are repulsive to us in a non-physical way? Should we love those who seem hateful? Should we love those who resist and reject us? Whom should we love?
Jesus said, "Love your neighbour." Who is this neighbour? Is this neighbour a person whom I could love? Is this neighbour a person who is easy to love? What if this neighbour has rotten teeth? What if this neighbour has a repulsive disease? What if this neighbour has stinking breath? What if this neighbour is a hateful man? What if this neighbour wants to kill me? Could I love such a person? Who is my neighbour? Who is your neighbour? And why should you love your neighbour? And why should you love him as you love yourself? Isn't that what Jesus said? "Love your neighbour as you love yourself."
Jesus said in the New Testament, "Love those who are difficult to love" (a paraphrase). And the implication of that statement is this: love people whom you would not normally love. Love people whom you would walk away from. Love people whom you would avoid. Love those who seem repulsive to you. Love those who seem hateful to you. Love beggars whom you would normally avoid. Love those with skin diseases. Love those with rotten teeth and dirty nails. Love those whom you cannot stand.
Love. You cannot love in your own strength. You cannot love with what you have. And what you have is not love. But you may love with God. You may love with God in you. God is love, and when he lives in you, love lives in you and you may learn to love just as he does. It may not come quickly. It may not come easily. But it will come if you believe. Believe. Believe in God. Believe in love. And love without restraint and without stipulation. Love. Love those who are difficult to love.
- Samuel Godfrey George
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