One of the best things about FoF is that we get to be a community whose members strengthen and challenge each other. That’s why I love when we have 4Ws. This week we prayed, learned about each other’s parents :), worshiped together, and meditated the Christian meaning of love. Amanda had some amazing passages for us to think on and discuss.
The first passage, Matthew 5:43-48, starts out with Jesus saying
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
What a challenge! And a great reminder that our God is good to everyone.
LIFE CHALLENGE: Based on this passage who should you love and pray for today? How? Tell us about how you showed love to them!
Up next? John 15:8-17. Below is The Message paraphrase, with emphasis added. (Or click here to read an actual translation.)
9-10 I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.
16"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17"But remember the root command: Love one another.
Natasha was encouraged that we don’t need to strive to stay good enough for God’s love, we’re “already in!” We get to remain, abide, rest in His love, because Jesus loves us the way the Father loves Him! In fact, if we try to love this way just by working harder, we will never make it. We’ll soon feel crushed by our failure to live up to this goal. But look to Christ. He loved us perfectly, even while we were still His enemies. When He was on the cross, He begged God to forgive His killers. And He has done the same for each of us.
LIFE CHALLENGE: What can you do today to abide a little more in His love? Set aside some time to meditate on the Trinity. From eternity past, the triune God was already a community of love, and as the Father loves the Son, we are loved. We’re invited to join the ultimate relationship. To love and be loved by the God of the universe, perfectly and infinitely. O praise Him!
The last passage we talked through was Romans 12:9-21. Again, click to read a translation, or here’s The Message paraphrase:
9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.
17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."
20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
What does it mean to love our enemies? Who are our enemies anyway? It’s not like most of us are being actively persecuted like the early church. Emily (welcome, Emily! Hope to see you again soon!) threw down a challenge that our enemies are all the people we find it hard to love. From simply irritating people to those who have deeply wronged and hurt us. Jesus tells us to show practical, genuine love to them all.
Jason also challenged us to think about some really difficult moral questions. What is right when it comes to people who are doing really bad things? Does this mean if Hitler or Stalin knocked on our door that we should feed and hydrate him? Clearly, God talks in a lot of places about disciplining those He loves, so the simple commands “love the Lord your God, and love one another” become really complicated and messy in real life.
And Coralanne reminded us that these passages challenge us to always love. Not just on Saturdays between 2-4pm. Not only when it’s convenient. Not only when it feels good. We have to be ready to show love. Always.
LIFE CHALLENGE: Praise Jesus for perfectly fulfilling all of these impossible commands, all the time. He is always genuine, always good, never even approaching evil, always ready with practical help, finding beauty in everyone, always humble… Jesus did it all. And the only way we’ll ever approach these lofty ideals is as the Spirit, through grace, transforms us. Ask the Spirit today to show you one specific way you can abhor evil and cling to what is good (v. 9-10).
Stay tuned for our last couple of events of the year!!
Coralanne, in her best game-show-host voice, read the next question, “Name five streets in Poznan.”
The question passed to Stephanie. She named 5 streets, “…and Przybyszewskiego!” Including the name of the street international students spend weeks (even years) trying to pronounce! In the end it was a close competition with Stephanie winning by one point. 
Afterwards Stephanie and Amanda were asked what they will miss about living in Poznan. They will both miss the pedestrian culture-being able to walk to a vegetable stand five minutes from their door, or stop by Biedronka and get picnic food. They might even miss public transportation. But of course, more than anything else, they will miss the people (That means you!!).
