We know Love not because we climbed the mountain to find it, not because we earned a place at Love’s table, but because Love came for us.

Those who make a home in Love make a home in God Love makes a home in them as God makes a home in their heart.

Let fear step down from where it has been naming strangers, drawing borders, counting risks and warning us to pass by on the other side.

Perfect love walks over to the ditch. Perfect love kneels beside the wounded. Perfect love sees the person others dismiss. Perfect love bears the cost.

A lawyer asked “Who is my neighbor?” But Jesus describes our road, and a disposable person beaten and sore. Oh, they saw him. They knew that downhill road was dangerous. But they had pretty prayers to pray, and assigned duties to perform.

So they passed by they laissez-faired by on the right they sashayed blithely by on the left they scurried quickly by down the center.

Then came the outsider, the unexpected face, the one without a place in their story of grace.

He stopped when stopping was inconvenient. He crossed when crossing was unexpected. He poured out oil and wine. He stepped over the cultural line.

He lifted a broken body in his own arms, onto his own animal, opened his own purse, and promised from his own lips.

Love boldly! Love doesn’t stay clean. Love doesn’t keep safe distance. Love doesn’t say, “Oh, I hope someone else will help.”

Love says, “Here I am!” Love says, “Your pain has interrupted my plan I do not call that a burden. I call that an honor.”

Beloveds, we can not claim to love the God whom we can’t see while withholding love from the siblings we can see.

When the world asks us, “Who is your neighbor?” May this be our answer: “Everyone God loves.”

Jesus wrote the last line of this poem Speaking words loving and bold. Go, he said simply, Go and do likewise.