melting away (love part two)

In my last blog, I wrote about the need to love ourselves before we attempt to love another.  My mentor and closest friend had the wisdom to remind us of a scripture that tied all of these ideas together; Jesus says to love one another as we love ourselves. (Mark 12.31)  I think it’s easy to focus on the first half of that verse, but not on the second.  If I focus all my attention on others around me then I don’t have to pay any attention to my issues.
However, if I haven’t examined myself; if I haven’t fully realized that I am only a sinner in need of a Savior, then I will start to think I’m better than others. Instead of loving others as myself, I may start to have pity, which is the result of judging, isn’t it?  It is certainly not a result of realizing how depraved I am.   I think that’s why in another verse Jesus says,”It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.  Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you’ when your own face is distorted by contempt?  It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part.  Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.” (Matthew 7.1-5)  He makes it abundantly clear that I need to love myself first.  However I feel about myself is what I am going to project upon another.  I say that is reason enough to get it right with ourselves before we attempt anything else.

Ok, once we have attempted to conquer the arduous task of loving ourselves, it is on to loving others.  Once you begin this task, it makes more sense why the Creator, in His infinite wisdom would want us to be right with ourselves first.  People are not always the easiest to love, are they?  I am married to a person, and even he’s not on his best behavior one hundred percent of the time.  And surprise surprise, neither am I.  

Paul tells us in Romans 12.9 that “Love must be sincere.”  On a simple level, Paul is merely saying to be honest and genuine, a fine idea.  But if you look at the root meaning, you see even more.
The word "sincere" comes from Latin. If you break the word down, you have "sine" (without) "ceres" (wax). When marble columns were being cut from the quarry, often nicks and cuts would mar the marble surface. Stonecutters would put white bee's wax in these cuts to hide the blemish from an unsuspecting buyer. Of course, once the stone was in place, the hot sun would melt the wax causing the blemish to appear.  
So, to be sincere you need to be without wax:  you have to be the real deal to those around you.  To love with the gloves off.  I have to resist my natural urge to listen to others’ problem while making my own problems sound so minimal.  I think love would be so much more real if I could testify to the same junk that another goes through.  

One more thing.  The following is a list of ways we are to love another;
“Therefore…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Paul in Colossians 3.12-14)
Throughout the Bible, the word compassion is used dozens and dozens of times.  The Lord Himself has much compassion for each and every one of us. Thank God that He is willing to come down to us with our dirt and our bull and gently wash us clean.  I like how Miriam-Webster defines compassion, ‘sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.’  We should be with our friends, our neighbors where they are at, in their place of vulnerability.  

If we love with compassion and sincerity, aren’t we getting as real as things get?  I think there’s enough bull in the world, enough ‘wax’ covering our blemishes.  It is time to let those melt away and reveal our true selves.  Think about it.