A simple, everyday look at what it means to follow Jesus.
Love Is the Heart of Faith
If you have ever wondered what really makes someone a Christian—not just by name, but in everyday life—the answer is simple: love. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:2 that a person can have great gifts, deep knowledge, and strong faith, but without love, it all means nothing. That is a strong reminder. Following Jesus is not just about what we believe or say. It is about how we love.
What Does Love Look Like?
Many people think love is only a feeling. But in the Bible, love is something we do. Love shows up when we are patient with someone who frustrates us. It shows up when we forgive, help, listen, and choose kindness even when it is not easy. Love also shows up when we stand beside people who are being treated unfairly.
Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us to “walk in love,” just as Jesus did. Jesus did not ignore hurting people. He noticed them. He helped the poor, welcomed the outsider, defended the weak, and showed mercy to people others pushed aside. That is the kind of love God calls us to live out.
Justice Is Love in Action
Real love does not just wish things were better. Real love acts. Justice means doing what is right and fair. It means caring when people are mistreated, overlooked, or denied a fair chance. If love is the heart of our faith, then justice is one way that love moves through our hands, feet, and voices.
When someone is treated badly because of their skin color, background, income, or struggles, that is injustice. The Bible teaches that every person is made by God and has value. Acts 17:26 reminds us that God made all people from one human family. Racism and prejudice go against God’s design because they deny the dignity God gave every person.
Why This Matters Today
We live in a world where division, anger, racism, poverty, and unfairness are easy to see. Sometimes it feels easier to look away. But Christians are not called to look away from pain. We are called to care, pray, speak, and act. When love grows cold, people suffer. Matthew 24:12 warns us about that kind of coldness.
Staying silent can make injustice stronger. Speaking up takes courage, but love gives us a reason to do it. Proverbs 14:15-17 reminds us to use wisdom, not just accept everything around us. As followers of Jesus, we should care about what is true, fair, and right.
Learning from America’s History
America has many blessings, but it also has painful parts of its history. Slavery, segregation, racism, and unequal treatment have left wounds that still affect people today. Even after slavery ended, many people continued to fight for voting rights, fair treatment, safety, and opportunity.
Faith does not ask us to pretend the past was perfect. Faith calls us to tell the truth, learn from it, and work toward healing. If we want our country to honor God, we cannot do it through pride, hate, or denial. We do it through truth, justice, mercy, and love.
Living Out Love Every Day
So what does this look like in real life? It starts with the people right in front of us: family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and strangers. Do we listen well? Do we speak with kindness? Do we help when someone is struggling? Do we treat people with respect, even when they are different from us?
Love also means stepping out of our comfort zone. If we see unfair treatment at work, school, church, or in our community, we should not ignore it. We can speak up with humility and courage. We can support people who are hurting. We can choose to be part of the solution instead of pretending the problem is not there.
Sometimes love looks big, like joining a cause or helping change an unfair rule. Other times it looks small, like checking on a lonely neighbor, giving to someone in need, mentoring a young person, or offering forgiveness. Small acts of love still matter to God.
Faith Gives Us Strength
Loving people and standing for justice can be hard. That is why we need faith. Faith is not just saying we believe in God. Faith means trusting God to help us do what we cannot do on our own. Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). But that faith must be rooted in love.
Faith reminds us that change is possible. It helps us keep going when progress is slow. It gives us hope when the world feels heavy. When we choose love and justice, we are joining God’s work of healing people and restoring what is broken.
A Call for All of Us
If we call ourselves Christians, our lives should show love. Not because we are perfect, but because we are following Jesus. That means standing against racism, poverty, cruelty, and injustice. It means seeing every person as someone made in God’s image and deeply loved by Him.
At the end of the day, love is not just something we talk about. It is something we live. We live it when we listen, forgive, serve, speak truth, and stand with people who are hurting. We live it when we choose justice over comfort and kindness over pride. Every act of love matters. Every word of encouragement matters. Every choice to do what is right reflects the heart of God. This calling is not just for pastors, leaders, or a special few. It is for all of us, right where we are.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026