Love is Messy

by The Rev. Heather Yerion-Keck

Earlier this year, I was in Greece for continuing education, and on that trip, I ran across posters, cards, and books that featured the “Love is …” images that I saw growing up in the 1970’s.  They brought a smile to my face, but it got me thinking about the topic of love.  We have all been at a wedding where Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians, “Love is patient, love is kind…” have been read.  But, in fact, love is messy. 

In Rev. Jenn Pockat’s introduction to this series, she talked about the four different kinds of love, but they are all messy and complicated.  Love exists in the gray areas.  Every day we strive to make the best decisions we can for everyone, including ourselves, and every day we will fall short.  But this doesn’t mean that we don’t keep trying. 

This messy love is what keeps us going.  The messy love of our friends, family, spouses and Christ.  It is complicated and full of twists and turns that make life - full of decisions.  We come to the table with expectations, dreams and desires for each other and the world and we will encounter others that have different ones.  And that is where the messiness of love comes in.     

Our relationship with Christ is messy and has been since the beginning.  God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Not just the ones that are like us.  Not just the ones that believe like we do.  Jesus welcomed everyone no matter their vocation, their gender, name, or nationality.  Jesus also understood that we were going to struggle with this. That is why there are many parables that explain it repeatedly from many different perspectives. 

Love is messy and there are no easy answers.  Love takes showing up and working every day to listen and see the other.  To see Jesus in the face of the person mixed up in the mess.  In the billionaire who seems heartless, in the immigrant who is scared and running towards hope, in the young person trying to figure out who they are.  We are all beloved children of God and the God that created us loves us and knows love is messy and confusing, but that love will win in the end. 

I ask you this week to pray for the messiest person in your life and to remember that they are a child of God.

I ask you to celebrate the messy love we receive from a God that asked for nothing in return but gave everything for our salvation. 

Love is messy.

Read: Romans 5:6-8

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Reflect: 

• Jesus loved people beyond boundaries—religious, cultural, moral. Who are the people or situations today where we are called to love beyond comfort or convention? Where have you witnessed “messy” love?

• How can our church or community create space for this kind of imperfect, grace-filled love to grow among us?

Pray: 

Gracious God.  Your world is a swirl of love help us to find peace and progress in these times.  Help us to move forward and make the divisions in our world less.  Heal the hearts and souls of those hurt by the messy love of the world.  Bring joy to those who have found love and help those who still seek it.  In your name, we pray, Amen.  

The Rev. Heather Yerion-Keck is pastor of St. Paul Lutheran, Manitowoc and Calvary, Two Rivers.