Some of you may have seen on the news sheet that I have been part of starting a campaign called ‘Movement of Love’. A few of you have asked me what it’s all about so this post should tell you a bit more, and I hope inspire you to join in.

Like many, earlier this year, I was struggling to come to terms with news stories of increased levels of hate and anger in our nation. It was around this time that God reminded me of a phrase he had given me a year before: Movement of Love, and I felt him encouraging me to do something with that phrase, to gather like minded people and to encourage others to be part of a movement of love to impact our nation. I had a choice in whether to despair, or in fact, to hope.
MoL_circle quoteThe message of God is that love is abundant, extravagant and beyond expectations. Our aim, at Movement of Love, is to see more of this and less hate and bad feeling. So, the campaign was set up for people of all faiths or none, for anyone who wants to be a part of a movement of love in our nation and we hope that others will continue to join us and pledge to have an attitude of love like this.

Of course in principal it sounds great, but it isn’t always easy, even as Christians. Augustine of Hippo (4th Century Bishop and theologian) said hundreds of years ago that he was:

entangled in a love of this present age, of temporal things, that is, and is far from loving God and his neighbour as scripture prescribes.

Sometimes it’s hard to focus on how God wants you to live your life, even if you are destined for Sainthood like Augustine! So, are we too busy loving the things of this age to love those around us as the bible tells us to? (Matt 22:39)

love1cor_MoLv2JPGChristianity is of course already a Movement of Love – love is our foundation – but so often, as individuals and as the church, we don’t display that love as actively as we might. So Movement of Love is a reminder to us and an encouragement to be that loving presence wherever we are. And let’s face it, there is plenty of opportunity in our communities to do that – thousands of people struggle daily with loneliness for example; and what about those with depression or mental illness, often suffering alone? or have we considered the homeless man huddled on our street corner; the family whose home has been burgled; those surviving by visiting a foodbank each week?

LOVE_quote3WilkersonJPGWe are commanded to love people. Regardless of race, religion, age, sex, whether they are in church or not, we just need to love people. I think that is perhaps the greatest witness to our faith, to demonstrate the love that God first showed to us.

And that’s what Movement of Love is all about, sharing some love with those around us, in the small things and the large. It’s for individuals but also for us corporately as the church, or perhaps as a business, a school, an organisation. We are asking what can you do to be a loving presence in your community? And I hope that as TRINITY, together we can really engage with what this means for us here in Lewes.

Want to know more? Check out: www.facebook.com/movementoflove2016 or Twitter @movementoflove or chat to Jules…