John emphasises his points by repeatedly addressing the same subject in several verses. It must have been a major problem in his time, which is why he says again that we should love one another. He just uses a different metaphor: 

2The reality test on whether or not we love God’s children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep His commands? 

But who are you and I to say he’s overdoing it, because there must be a reason why we need to hear it again and again. Maybe someone somewhere is hiding, or maybe it’s someone we’ve pushed away and forgotten to love. 

Maybe we need to take a step back and reflect on how we’ve gotten here. Maybe somewhere along the way, we’ve stepped on someone who’s still bleeding. 

A while back, I was with a friend of mine who was in trouble. He used to be the CEO of a big company. He actually went to work there to get them out of trouble. 

He did a good job and turned the big ship around bit by bit. He got the banks on board, and where before everyone was probably going to lose everything, they started making some money. 

Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief. 

My friend cared. He cared about the numbers. He has a gift for immediately seeing where things are going wrong and then doing something about it. 

My friend cared. He cared about the people. He cared about their toilets in the fields. He cared about everyone’s story. When he had to move on from a previous organisation, the tea girl said: “There goes the last one who really cared about us.” 

And then, two years ago, the chairman of the board of the company where he had taken over the reins walked in and said: “Thanks for the turnaround, but you can go. We don’t need you anymore.” 

After more than two years without a job, and after losing almost everything, he was left dazed and shocked. He was left with the hurt and the pain. He carried the emotional scars and wondered what his family thought of him then. 

But what shocked him most was that that same chairman was in church every Sunday but could so easily say: “I’ve put a stone in your pocket. You’ll have to deal with it yourself; just get over it.” 

It’s a long story, but do you see that there is no golden thread of love for God’s children in this story. No love for your brother and sister in Christ. In the name of money, we may step on people. 

This story may not be your story and maybe you would never do something like that. But let’s just make sure that in our world we don’t push other people away, in the name of something else. Just love!  

Scripture
1 John 5:1-5 

Reflection
Do you love your fellow human beings?
Do you truly love your fellow human beings?
Do you truly love all your fellow human beings? 

Prayer
Father, please show me where I do not love some of Your children. Amen.