Chapter of 12 of Romans can be overwhelming. Paul is clear about what a life in Christ should look like, and the longer he talks about it the more difficult a challenge it becomes. Somewhere between not being “conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2) and learning to pray for – not curse but pray for – those who persecute me (v. 14) I feel as though I’m floundering. What human being can even pretend to manage all of this?
But it is also there between not conforming and not cursing that Paul says this: “Let love be genuine…” (v. 9). I’m not sure that we can really sum up all of chapter 12 with this phrase, but it’s a great place to start, because if we are going to really seek the life Paul describes, then we are going to need our love – for God and for others – to be real and not a façade. Once upon a time I worked for an insurance company as a policy service representative. One of the questions we asked when we were taking applications for homeowners’ insurance was whether the house was actually built of brick or had a brick veneer. The difference is important. A house made of brick is more solid, obviously, and more resilient, while a brick veneer is more likely to collapse under stress and leave the interior of the house unprotected. It would seem to me that genuine love is solid and resilient in times of turmoil, while a less genuine love is more like a veneer that is likely to collapse and leave damaged relationships in its wake.
Coming at it this way doesn’t make Romans 12 any less daunting; Paul’s words still overwhelm me. But at least I have a place to begin. If I can learn to love God and to love others with a honest and deeply felt love then I think I’m off to a good start in meeting Paul’s other exhortations.
Prayer: Gracious God, we ask that our love for you and for others may be genuine, that we may live in community as you desire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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