In John 13:34 & 35, Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
In Romans 15:5-7, Paul writes, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."
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This can be difficult because we are all broken people. In spite of that, God accepts and cherishes us. We need to be accepting of each other in spite of our quirks and accentuate the positive rather than the negative. That's what it means to love in a practical way. Paul says, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." From our faces, others see greetings, acceptance, and that "I'm glad you're here." We need to be cautious that our expressions aren't demeaning, critical or negative. This is how we begin to love someone as Jesus loves us.
The cross is horrible because God hates sin; sin destroys and kills. But at the cross of Christ, you also see amazing grace, incredible forgiveness, amazing acceptance, and amazing initiative in reaching out in love. Jesus Christ calls us to never compromise with evil but rather to be agents of grace and mercy. We are to allow God's love to flow through us as we greet, embrace, and cherish each other.
In Ephesians 4:2, Paul writes, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." To bear means to give someone space to be different, unique. Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." To love means to forgive. Forgiveness is accepting what happens and accepting the apologies, promising not to remind a person of the dastardly deeds that he or she has done to you, living in the present, not living in the past. Offer forgiveness to those that don't even ask. Reconciliation can not occur unless someone is truly sorry; however, don't be a slave to bitterness.
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