The apostles understood the work of the Lord had to be continued. Certain of this they elected another follower to become an apostle. Let someone else take his place. Judas’ place was that of an apostle. The work was to announce the Good News of salvation. The field for the announcement was hostile. Jesus prayed for our protection knowing full well that the evil one would come to distract them from the mission and distort the message that was going to be given. Jesus prayed that we would be united as a community of believers and in this mission given by Jesus to announce salvation to the whole world.
The announcement will have a greater impact if we live in love. Love as we share in it testifies to the nature of our Father and to his presence in our lives. The only way the world will “see” our Father is through our demonstration of love for one another. “God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” The person who continues in love continues in our Father. In other words, love for our Father and others is the way to continue growing in the Lord. The spirit of God is a spirit of love, it is the spirit that reaches out to others.
Therefore, our love for one another must be the same sort: authentic, merciful, and life giving for this unique Christian love is our proof that we know our Father and can “see” the invisible of God. Christian love is not abstract but lived in a concrete manner of love for one another.
Written by Marina