Magnetic love
Chilly air and rain have finally come to the Inland Empire! This is about as seasonal as we get. Along with the cool temperatures and shorter days come memories of loved ones and celebrations past. At this point in my life, I have received numerous presents for Christmas and my birthday, which falls on December 23. Some of them I couldn’t remember for the life of me. On the other hand, there are some I can visualize as if they were just placed in my hands. My parents gave me one such childhood gift that I dearly loved — Magna-Stiks!
They were, well, magical! You could take the metal pieces, place them on the metal base squares and build whatever your mind could imagine. The magnets held the pieces together. While playing with this toy I made the scientific discovery that magnets have a south pole and a north pole. When a south pole comes into contact with a north pole, the magnets snap together and are held tightly. But when one pole comes near a similar pole, they repel each other and won’t connect. This, I discovered, is a law of nature.
Yet it’s the opposite when it comes to people. For us, similar and familiar are what attract and join us together. As for opposites, we repel them and don’t connect. That’s the way of the world. That is a law of our natures. But that is NOT the way of the Lord.
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other." —Zechariah 7:9-10 NLT
God’s way is for us to truly see the needs, cares, and burdens of all of the people around us. We are not to just take note of those who look, act, and live like us. We are not to turn others invisible and repel them. We are called to be attracted to them — just like God is! We are to interact and care with others from motives that are genuine and not just benevolently or seasonally motivated.
Jesus tells us that we are to “Love your neighbors as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39 NLT)
He isn’t telling us to love others like we love ourselves — doing and sharing things that we like. What Jesus is saying is that others ARE OURSELVES! They are extensions of us!
To love like that and care like that would totally transform how we lived and experienced life as we study, teach, provide healthcare, and do the business of making this institution a place that “continues the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.” It would, in fact, make each of us magnets of love and healing.
As we gather for University@Worship on November 30, 2022, we would like to add the songs, stories, and experiences of our students and employees. Please share your favorite hymn or worship song here.
—Terry Swenson, DMin, is director of University Spiritual Care.
