“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

At the close of every worship and bible study, the late Dr. Ishmael Kimbrough, Jr., would dismiss with quoting, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”’ Pastor “K” would have us understand that how we acted towards one another would affect our witness before the world and misrepresent who Jesus is, love.

God values community and has established community through and around Jesus Christ. Jesus having gathered unto himself 12 disciples shaped them into a new community and issued unto them a new commandment; love each other as he loved them! It is clear that love is to be the foundation of Christ’s new community and that he’s the measurement and motivation of new community’s love for one another!

Jesus is clear in verse 35 that the love of the community is linked to the witness of the community. If the Christian Community is going to win the world to Jesus through the gospel, she must maintain her witness of love before the world. As members of this community, we must represent Christ well to the world around us! Remember every opportunity that you have to show love, your witness and Christ’s reputation is on the line.