Jesus taught us to love one another as He has loved us. Many times we focus on the feeling of love and then the actions - being kind and compassionate, going the extra mile, putting the other first, etc. These are all great and valuable expressions of love.
But, St. Thomas Aquinas goes further in his definition of love. He requires our attitude towards the other and their future to be for their good. The challenge in this is what if you don’t agree with them or their lifestyle. What if they just rub you the wrong way. It’s hard enough to show them love and muster up compassion, but to pray for, hope for and believe for their good future too… Pastor David Stockton challenged me with this yesterday - it’s a good challenge, one that I embrace on my journey with Christ. I challenge you now, too.