CHURCHES COLUMN: All we need is love

It was called Our World, and Britain’s contribution was a recording of The Beatles’ anthem that would go on to become the theme tune of the 1960s: “All You Need Is Love”.

With Valentine’s Day just days ago, many have been thinking about love afresh this week.

Some look around them with thankfulness for the love they know.

Others look back with sadness, as they reflect on the love they’ve lost.

Still others look forwards in hope, longing that they, too, will one day be loved.

The longing to love and be loved is deeply imprinted on our soul.

And speaking with amazing hope and joy, the Bible tells us where we can find a love that will never end... not even in death.

It offers us a love that we don’t deserve and therefore can’t ever lose.

And it describes a love more costly than anything we could ever imagine, which proves its depth and sincerity.

The Apostle John tells us that love doesn’t start with us: “Love comes from God.”

Love, the Bible tells us, comes from outside us.

John goes on: “This is how God showed His love among us. He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

Despite the fact that we didn’t first love God, He sent His Son to live in our world, and die on the cross, that we might be forgiven and know His unconditional and unchanging love.

And if we trust in Jesus, His great sacrificial love not only transforms our standing before God, it transforms our love for each other, and the way we care for our friends, family and neighbours.

John Lennon was on to something... all we need is love. But the Apostle John shows us that the love that is all we need is the amazing love of God, through Jesus Christ, His Son.