Do you remember the theme of NYC 2019? Yes, that's it - Love God, Love Others: Loved Lived. Do you see how the logo matches the theme? The logo is a heart-shaped V. Love God is the blue side of the V, Love Others is the red side of the V, and where the V intersects and becomes purple is Loved Lived. Genius, right? To better grasp the big picture of this year's theme, check out this link: https://nyc2019.com/theme/.

Have you visited this intersection of love recently - between loving God and loving others? I have, and I can tell you that it is a busy intersection. The love God traffic is moving along. The closer that traffic gets to the intersection, the more it starts to back up. The same thing happens on the other side, where the love others traffic is moving along. Where the two lanes intersect is a hot mess of traffic, but I believe that this is a good thing.

I am sure we all agree that traffic is inconvenient, but the one redeeming quality of traffic is that it forces us to slow down. In our relationship with God, we tend to rush through our days and miss the quality times when we have the privilege to love God slowly, thoughtfully, and intentionally. Who gets antsy when the church service goes longer than normal? When was the last time you basked in the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God? The same is true when it comes to loving others. We rush through our days and miss the small signs of those around us who are hurting, lonely, and suffering. It is not until we slow down, sit down, and even reach down that we are able to truly love others.

Loving God requires us to pour our hearts, soul, and mind into our relationship with him. This is not a hurried kiss-on-the-cheek-kind of love. Jesus says this is the most important command. he adds that we must love our neighbor as ourselves: this is the second most important command. It is impossible to live out the great commandment if we try to do it with our own values, schedules, and plans. When we get to the intersection of love, we must slow down! When we slow down, we will find the joy of a deeper love that is lived out in relationship with God and others.

Monday: Listen to "Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury and savor the agape love of God.

Tuesday: Write a love letter or song to Jesus. Take your time - you don't have to finish this today.

Wednesday: Memorize Matthew 22:37-40.

Thursday: Ask God's forgiveness for the times you cared more about finishing church than worshiping God.

Friday: Spend time with a friend or family member today. Take your time and savor your relationship.