"Love one Another"

In the follow up to Memorial Day it is very fitting that the Lord led me to a passage in John 13.  Let us remind ourselves of the words that Christ spoke as He is spending some final time with His disciples prior to His death.  Let us reflect on verses 34 & 35: "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (KJV).

Jesus is establishing a "spiritual trademark" that will be a distinguishing characteristic of His followers/disciples.  The characteristic of His disciples will be the mutual love that they possess for one another.  In the days of Jesus, the disciples of different teachers were known by their habits, or some particular creed or rite.  The disciples adopted their teachers creed or practices; but Jesus is raising the standard by which His disciples would be known.  Their identification would be more than some rite or religious statement; they would be identified by the love that they demonstrated to one another.  Is the love of Christ truly at work in my heart?  Do I live out that love in my actions and inter-actions with fellow believers as well as non-believers who need to see the principles of Christ at work in our lives?  We need more than rites or rituals in the modern day church; we need the true demonstration of God's love at work in our lives.  The church must be known for our "love one to another."

A writer of early church history made this statement; "See, they said, how they love one another, and are ready to lay down their lives for one another."  Can that statement be made about the modern day church or have we become known by what we say rather than what we do?