As I read the above Bible passage, I was reminded how complicated the Bible can be to understand. This new commandment from Jesus doesn’t seem, at first, to be all that complicated. Jesus could command his disciples to wear deep purple shirts with the words “I Love Jesus” written boldly across the front/back of the shirts in red ink with a pair of holey jeans so people would know and recognize that they were disciples. However, if this new commandment ranks up there with the Ten Commandments, then wearing an imprinted shirt and holey jeans is too simple. Jesus expected his disciples to be examples of what it means to love one another.

Loving one another, or being a loving and kind person, doesn’t have to be difficult. If we stop to think about it, there are many easy and simple ways to be a loving person. For example, writing a short note to a shut-in member of the congregation or perhaps sending a Christmas card. Sometimes just a smile and saying “Good morning” can convey a loving feeling. On occasion, my husband will surprise me with a bouquet of flowers, or I will make his favorite meal for dinner. It doesn’t have to be hard or expensive to be kind and loving. Others will take notice of the difference in us when we make a conscious effort to honor Jesus by following His commandment to love one another in the same way that He has loved us!