As I write this, it has just warmed up above freezing for the first time in over forty-eight hours. It was 14 degrees at our house last night. It took over an hour to shut off t he water from a busted water pipe. At one point (it was 25 degrees at the time) I literally lost feeling in my fingers. Not many are fond of extremely cold weather. It brought new meaning to Dean Martin’s seasonal lyrics, “But baby, it’s cold outside.”
As painful as freezing temperatures can be, it must have been just as painful for Matthew to record Jesus’ words: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12). Is there anything more disillusioning than a frozen heart?
Christian singer Penny Lea was once approached by an old man. Weeping, he told her that he had lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. His town had heard terrifying stories of what was happening to the Jews, but everyone tried to distance themselves from the reality of what was taking place.
A railroad track ran behind the town’s small church. One Sunday morning, they heard cries for help coming from the train as it passed by. They grimly realized that the train was carrying Jews. He then said, “It was so terribly disturbing! We could do nothing to help these poor miserable people, yet their screams tormented us.
“We knew exactly at what time that whistle would blow, and we decided the only way to keep from being so disturbed by the cries was to start singing our hymns. By the time the train came rumbling past the church, we were singing at the top of our voices. If some of the screams reached our ears, we'd just sing a little louder until we could hear them no more.
“Years have passed, and no one talks about it much anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians yet did nothing to intervene.'
In our day, in our nation, in our states and towns, one could easily make the case that the love of many has grown cold, just as Jesus said it would. And not just cold, but frozen. We don’t encourage one another to love. We are better at closing wallets, purses and borders. We are quicker to curse someone of the other political party. It has become the norm to condemn and slander individuals we have never even met in person. How can we warm our hearts and our love again, so we may be clearer reflections of the boundless, merciful love of God through Christ?
We warm our love with acts of love. As C. S. Lewis reminded us, it is easier to act your way into a feeling, than to feel your way into an action. Small acts of service in your home. Gifts of friendship in the workplace. Quality time with friends. Encouraging words to your neighbors. These small acts stoke the flames of love. You can do nothing better this week than to resolve to fill your days with acts of love. Or as Saint Teresa of Avila encouraged, “Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul.”
With all that is happening in our world today, could it be that the Lord is trying to stir us? The choice is ours to either respond or strike up the band and sing the thirtieth round of a chorus just a little louder!
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