Hi, welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host for the daily challenges. This week’s topic is part of our series called Jesus Is… where we’re trying to learn about the identity of Jesus, through studying some key stories in the Bible.
Our daily challenges are meant to help you explore what it means to follow Jesus, even if you don’t have a lot of time. We have a rhythm that keeps us in sync, even if we’re not a community that meets together in person regularly. Every Monday we introduce the week’s idea. Every Tuesday we study it in the Bible. Every Wednesday we see how that challenges and transforms our thinking on the topic. Thursdays we try to apply and live it out. Friday is a day for prayer and reflection before we take a rest on Saturday, and Sundays we meet together with others in community.
Valentine’s day was just a few weeks ago, a day all about love, right?
Maclean’s Magazine reported that Carlton sells about 9 million Valentine’s cards a year! Why? Because love is so hard to express. The marketing director said, “We make cards to help them say something they have a hard time saying on their own,” explains Driscoll. “That’s the need we fulfill.”
Interestingly, it’s the only holiday when men buy more cards than women, and last minute at that.
Lots of people think love is more difficult to define today than ever. Ask people to define love, and you’ll get as many answers as people asked. They’ll range from those focused on sex to those focused on feelings to those focused on commitment.
It’s hard to quantify, although one study found the average cost of love is about $42,800 a year. That covers a year of dating, a year engaged, and a wedding.
How would you define love?
Well, this week we’re going to explore how Jesus is love, and how that means something very specific that goes far beyond feeling, physical affection or commitment. It comes down to love shown through action. But first:
Question: Define love. How do you experience it, and how do you show it?