A Sunrise Kind of Love

If you know me, you know my deep love of watching the regular, rhythmic transition from night to day. Even more, I have a passion for not only watching, but experiencing that transition day in, day out, from one season to the next. The sounds, the colors, the feel of the air… all of it shouts the glory of God to my heart. I wrote a snippet about that here.

This morning, though, I was reading John 15:9-17 regarding Christlike love, and suddenly I thought of how a sunrise can paint an awe-inspiring portrait of what Jesus is saying here, especially in verse 12:

This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

Every sunrise has its own flair and artistic display cast across the sky by our Creator, but there are some mornings where the sunrise is so intense, so brilliant, the colors so vibrant there is a subtle, simultaneous hint of color in the west, opposite from the direction of the sunrise.

When I read this familiar passage in John this morning, I pictured that kind of sunrise morning: the brilliance, depth, creativity, and radiance of Christ’s love in the east, and the way we can be but a dim, mirroring reflection of that kind of love to one another because of the love He has put on display for us.

Let me repeat that verse again:

This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

Here are just a few of the ways John’s Gospel has already displayed the love Jesus is calling His disciples (and us) to imitate:

1:14 Christ’s love comes near to us
1:39 Christ’s love invites people in
1:42 Christ’s love calls people by name
1:48 Christ’s love sees us
2:7-11 Christ’s love allows us to join with Him in His work
2:13-17 Christ’s love doesn’t compromise with sin
3:1-17 Christ’s love welcomes questions and Christ’s love is unconditional to all who believe
4:1-26 Christ’s love approaches the outcast
4:52 Christ’s love can be displayed in healing power
5:3 Christ’s love goes out of the way to the blind, lame, and paralyzed
6:1-15 Christ’s love is demonstrated through generous provision
6:20 Christ’s love casts out fear
7:16 Christ’s love teaches what the Father says
7:36 Christ’s love satisfies the thirsty
8:11 Christ’s love forgives
9:1-3 Christ’s love is demonstrated to and through broken people
10:1-18 Christ’s love leads, cares, calls, protects
11- Christ’s love is sometimes demonstrated in ways we don’t expect, on timetables we don’t understand. His love is compassionate and empathetic
12:23-28 Christ’s love is sacrificial
13:1-20 Christ’s love is humble
14:6 Christ’s love leads to the Father
14:12-31 Christ’s love gives access to the Father and the Holy Spirit, God in three persons on display!
15:1-8 Christ’s love produces fruit

And then there we land at 15:9-17.

It’s a big calling- seemingly impossible, right? Our love will always be a little like that muted display in the west compared to Christ’s love.

But when Jesus commands us to love as He has loved us, I picture that glorious sunrise—the kind that spills its brilliance across the whole sky. When we look to Him and live to mirror that love, His radiance becomes the light others see through us. Glory to Him!