From Peter Wehner’s “Why Jesus Matters“:

“Our witness is not right doctrine; it is our relational orientation… As friends of Jesus, we love one another — and that includes people different from us. In fact, no one can be an ‘other’, because in Christ we belong to one another.” We are called to love one another, honor one another, welcome one another, encourage one another and bear one another’s burdens…

Jesus says if we are his friends, we will do what he commands, and several times in John 15 he is specific about what that means:  Love each other as I have loved you. There are countless ways to love others, based on our talents and life circumstances, but the command is clear enough. We are not only to experience love; we are to extend it to others.

Going to church helps ‘keep me honest’ when it comes to extending love to others. It can be challenging, as MLK Jr. spoke to in his “Loving Your Enemies” sermon.  It can be challenging but keep at it.