Be Love
By Rev. Linda Furtado
Some time ago, Rev. Katie Minnis, a soon-to-be Elder in Full Connection in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church, created an image she posted on social media for Reidland United Methodist Church, where she serves as the senior pastor. The image read:
Be Love
_______________________ is patient;
_______________________ is kind;
_______________________ does not brag;
_______________________ does not throw a fit if they don’t get what they want;
_______________________ is happy when good things happen for others;
_______________________ helps people, is reliable, and encourages others;
_______________________ doesn’t give up!
If you’ve ever heard me preach or teach in any context, you’ve probably heard me talk about love. It is such a vital part of life that I find—if a conversation doesn’t remind, lead toward, or operate in a spirit of love—it is likely not a healthy conversation, interaction, environment, or circumstance to be in or go through.
When love becomes the foundation of the narrative—when it’s infused into even the hardest situations—it can lift us up. Love perseveres and speaks truth when everything else seems to be failing or falling apart. When spouses are in a funk, when parents can’t manage the emotions of their children, when coworkers get under each other’s skin, or when leaders are fed up with the dissonance around them—it is love that shines a light and prevails.
It’s easy to associate love with warmth and positivity, something readily available whenever we need it. But love doesn’t always feel good. It’s often hardest to notice when negativity has the mental, spiritual, and emotional microphone. Still, love is the starting point of transformation. And let’s be honest—how many of us are truly excited when the things we’ve grown used to—norms, standards, expectations, even familiar hardships—are shaken by change?
When love chooses to speak truth to power, I pray you remember:
Love is patient.
When love chooses to listen deeply rather than argue to win, I pray you remember:
Love is kind.
When love walks into the fire to protect another or stands for what’s right amid wrongdoing, I pray you remember:
Love does not brag.
When love challenges authority or counters the status quo, I pray you remember:
Love does not throw a fit if they don’t get what they want.
When love rejoices for someone else’s breakthrough while you’re still waiting on your own, I pray you remember:
Love is happy when good things happen for others.
When love pauses, resets boundaries, or says “not now” before moving to help, I pray you remember:
Love helps people, is reliable, and encourages others.
When love takes time to rest, to pray, and to move more slowly than you’d prefer, I pray you remember:
Love doesn’t give up.
Be love, beloved, because you are loved.
Linda Furtado is the Director of Spirituality and Arts at Scarritt Bennett Center and leads our Soul Work program. For more information, please email lfurtado@scarrittbennett.org.
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