“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind . . . [and] love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s hard to believe that Jesus’ clear words about love in Matthew 22 were ever in need of being reclaimed by Christ’s church. Yet, the story of Martin Luther reminds us that even within the church there are times when we must be re-formed in order to focus on the clarity of Christ’s message of love.

At its heart, the message of the Reformation is about being re-formed. First, Luther himself was reformed – from practicing a piety rooted in legalism to experiencing God’s grace and love through Scripture. Then his leadership (along with others) reformed the church – making it possible for more people to experience the same grace and love that he had come to know. Through his translation of the Bible and the Mass, Luther and other Reformers allowed more people to hear for themselves about the height and breadth and depth of God’s love for us and God’s love for this world. This message of God’s great love continues to re-form us into people who are free to share this love with our neighbors.

The lasting community that follows Jesus that God is building among us is one where Jesus invites us to re-form our vision of the kingdom of God – to tilt our heads to see God’s kingdom the way he does – not as as a prize to be won or a destination to be achieved, but as a living and breathing way of life that is grounded in community, connection and LOVE!

As you go about your week when are you on the receiving end of surprising love from your neighbors? Where are you being called to share love with others? If you’re around Fairport, we invite you to visit Bethlehem to see our wall of love (pictured above) and experience the ways that God is re-forming us!