WHAT IS LOVE?
Years ago, when I lived in Lugbe, a suburb in Abuja, a number of girls lived in a building adjacent to me. They strictly lived to be picked up by men.
The girls will go out at night and return the following morning. I, and other neighbors were angry. The girls were very noisy. They never cared who their noise disturbed.
One day, the landlord had enough. He evicted all of them. Their properties were thrown out. All the girls found somewhere else to relocate, except one. She had no place to go.
She kept her belongings in our building corridor, and on nights that she was home, she’d sleep there… and that was on most nights.
The tenants in the building, including my husband and I, met to plan how to put her and her belongings out. Surprisingly, one tenant, a woman was against the idea. She asked, “What would you all do if this girl was your daughter, sister or relative?” She told us that this girl and her friends have, no doubt made wrong choices. But she reminded us that we too, at some point in our past also made wrong choices. But God still held us close to His heart and saved us. She cautioned us as Christians to consider what Jesus would do.
Everyone was quiet. But none suggested any way to help the now homeless lady.
Later on, the same woman who defended her at the tenant meeting had a talk with her husband. They agreed to house the girl in their moderate apartment.
They invited the girl into their home and told her she could stay with them. The homeless girl was shocked when the woman said to her, “We know what you do for a living. And you are free to go out at night and come back the next day if that’s what you choose to do. Feel free to eat our food. Use the other bedroom. It is yours as long as you live here. Live like one of us. We did not bring you in to judge you. But we will continue to pray for you. Hopefully, the spirit will talk to you…, at your own time.”
The girl was dumbfounded. And she cried. At nights, she stayed home. Going out to look for men gradually became a thing of her past.
She would join the family for morning devotion and go to church with them on Sundays.
One day, the woman, now her landlord of sorts told her of her husband’s decision to pay for her to register in a university. The lady gained admission into a university. She graduated on top of her class and got a good job. But even before she graduated, with a university grant for outstanding students, she had started a business of her own.
Today, when you enter her office, she has this woman and her husband’s photo on the wall behind her desk. The photo has the inscription, ” My parents,’ the only Christians I know”.
Folks, what is love? Many Christians cannot answer to this question. We resist the true essence of love.
The truth is, “Christ died for us.” Why would a righteous man die for sinners? That’s what love is.
What can you do for someone even against your intrinsic instincts?
Every one we have chosen not to forgive, deserve forgiveness. That is the sacrifice that a true Christian, who shows true love makes.
Love is not the practice of loving beautiful people. True love is shown by being willing to truly love those that many look down upon.
How many less fortunate people have you taken home from church after service to feed? Why do we feed the rich, and don’t feed the needy?
Why do we scorn people who look like prostitutes? We look at children who look unkept and we shake our heads in disapproval, warning our children to avoid such people.
But what kind of people do we think that heaven is waiting up there for?
Let’s not lose the purpose of life because of what we have almost achieved.
Can someone say of you, “I met a true believer in you?”
