I grew up in a fairly strict Christian home so I should have developed enough discipline to successfully navigate my first year away at college. What I developed, however, was an appetite to enjoy my freedom.

I will not bore you with details except to say, go figure, my first year at college did not work out so well. I was fortunate to be able to start over and eventually earn more degrees than I know what to do with, but not before learning important life lessons.

I had academic interests when I was young, but study came a whole lot more natural when inspired by the importance I attributed to the subject and with answers to questions that matter.

Do you know where I am going with this? I bet you do.

I obviously do not speak for all Christians or all Christian churches, but it is not a stretch to make the claim that the Holy Bible, which is the Holy Word of God, is the most important book in the world. Believing this is why I went to seminary.

One reason (some might prefer the word excuse) given for not reading, let alone studying, the Bible is the mistaken thought that the Bible does not apply to contemporary 21st Century issues, personal or otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth?

We recently launched a project to connect the Bible with current issues by utilizing an electronic resource called The Wired Word. Google it if you are so inclined.

Each week, a new topic is sent via email to people who sign up to receive The Wired Word. There is no cost. The email contains the story line, secular news coverage, video links and questions in relation to the story, and then concludes with relevant passages from the Bible.

A sample of topics and questions we have addressed in recent weeks include the stigma of mental illness, civil rights legislation, the murder trial of George Zimmerman, a silent American church while Christians are persecuted, and, in some cases, executed in distant lands, tremendous personal achievements and tremendous personal challenges.

What does the Bible say?

If you have an appetite to enjoy your freedom, to study the most important book in the world with answers to questions that matter, then send your name and email address to communitych1920@gmail.com and we will send you The Wired Word each week.

So give it a try. If you sign up to receive The Wired Word and for whatever reason change your mind, then you can stop receiving it at any time.

Enjoy Bible study on a hot topic in the privacy of your home. And, anytime a topic peaks your interest or hits a nerve, then you are always welcome to come for a safe discussion on that topic at our casual gathering each Saturday at 6 p.m. at the church.

We will even provide the coffee, food, music and prayer.

Jesus said, “Blessed are all who hear the word of God ‘and’ put it into practice.” Luke 11:28

Dr. Dennis Andrews

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A.

See more at www.communitych. org or on Facebook.

Syria is the focus today, not so much in the church as in the news.

One might think we have attention deficit disorder given we still have troops in harm’s way in Afghanistan. We’ve been out of Iraq for such a short time despite almost everyone’s interest (theirs and ours) in our departure. “Thank you, America. You can go home now!” Things have grown more violent in Iraq in our absence. Curious how that happens …

If there might be a moment of calm in the world, then maybe we’d refocus on the threat of North Korea, as they march toward a nuclear capacity already enjoyed (I use that word loosely) by Pakistan and Israel, to name a few.

If we were to have a lull in crises, we would surely shift our focus back to Iran’s nuclear development progressing in the shadows of Ahmadinejad’s promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Should we have a lull in crises, we might then focus on the conflicts of every continent, including our own.

No wonder the world barely noticed Sept. 21 was the International Day of Peace.

The United Nations and the world’s powers, including and especially our own nation, aim to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons for obvious reasons. There are fanatics who would love to kill a million people rather than a few thousand or a few hundred.

If you’ve been awake the last several weeks, you know it was the use of chemical weapons in Syria (chemical weapons sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s nuclear bomb”) which prompted the threat of military intervention by the U.S.A.

By conservative estimates, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the past two years in Syria, 2 million refugees have fled the country and, most notably, on Aug. 21 of this year, almost 1,500 men, women and children were killed with sarin gas. We may argue as to who is responsible, but no one can dispute the inhumane suffering of so many innocent people.

There are millions of peaceloving Syrians. Are they better off with the Assad regime, a Russian-supported secular government many believe is corrupt, or with rebel forces, many of whom have ties to Hezbollah and Al-Qaida? Do we even know? Do our political leaders really know?

What is unfortunate is we don’t seem to know and what is even more unfortunate is Syria is not the only mess in the world today.

Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world...”

Can we turn the other cheek to a jihadist who threatens to remove our head? Can we wage war against an enemy and love them at the same time?

Even the Prince of Peace points to the inevitability of war in this conflicted world when he says, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, though the end is not at hand. For nation will rise against nation …” (Matthew 24)

Jesus also teaches that much is expected of those to whom much is given. This is true of nations as well as people.

Thank God there are nations able to confront regimes that build concentration camps with gas chambers for these are regimes and chambers that must be torn down.

In these times when there are too many conflicts for even the world’s superpower to contain or even completely understand, then surely we will turn to the Lord.

Pray “the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire…” [Psalm 46]

God’s Kingdom is our focus today, not so much in the news, as in the church.

Dennis Andrews is the Pastor at Community Presbyterian Church, “Steeple on the Beach,” located five blocks south of Hillsboro Blvd. on A1A. Sunday Services are held at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Our busiest days were when our three children were young and in school. I remember thinking, “Do they have to play so many sports, be on so many traveling teams, play musical instruments and join six clubs? Good grief!”

Looking back, I know I took a lot for granted.

We were a two parent family living in our hometown. We had good jobs. That meant we could afford one of those minivans with the sticky seats. The family nest, like the family school, was nice enough and safe enough. Siblings and grandparents were nearby. Church was a blend of family and friends. The weekly Bible study was at a neighbor’s house.

I miss those days!

My wife has been a public elementary school principal for several years now. Elementary schools tend to be happy places. The little people are usually excited to be there, which is great to see, and the big people are usually happy to be there too.

Almost everybody looks forward to the end of a school year, but you can still feel the excitement, some call it anxiety, when time rolls around for school to start again.

A new school year means new classmates, new teachers, new classrooms, new books, new technology, maybe even some new clothes.

From the parking lot to the front office, from building maintenance to food service, from transportation to recreation, from the new counselor to the new coach, from the new teacher who prepares her first classroom to the teacher about to retire who prepares her last, schools need rules to function well and the most important is golden.

Jesus says, “In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you.” (Matthew 7, NET)

How can anything that sounds so simple be so hard? Good grief!

It doesn’t matter if it’s an elementary school, a middle school or a high school. If it’s a public school, especially in South Florida, then you can bet it is a diverse place and we all know students bring a lot more with them from home than a backpack.

Long before the youngest student arrives at school a unique personality is being formed. God-given seeds of talent are either being left dormant, nurtured or trampled. Young life experiences, mostly accumulated outside the school, are shaping every child’s expectations and dreams.

The highest ideal for school is that it be a safe place to lift expectations, to encourage learning, to inspire dreams.

But the pressures of school are not to be denied. Kids want to fit in, but not too much. They want to blend in, but, hopefully, only in a positive way; and how troubles loom large for the ones who don’t find a niche, a sport or a club; for the students who are different, too quiet and alone; for the ones who have troubles at home?

The truth is public schools need help in a lot of different ways these days. I write to encourage that we take the golden rule to school, that we volunteer to help a public school this year.

Google your public school corporation website today. Take a few moments to fill out the on-line Volunteer and Mentor Application or call a public school near you. I filled out the form online myself for Deerfield Beach Elementary and it only takes a few minutes. www.getinvolvedin education.com/volunteers/ application.htm

And just so you know, I realize you do not have to follow Jesus to practice the Golden Rule but it will not surprise you to know I believe Jesus is the only “everlasting way” to live by it. And if this causes you grief, then rest assured it is Good Grief! See ya in school!

You are also invited to join us Sunday at 8:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. for the message “The Golden Rule” based on the 7th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more at www.comm unitych.org or on Facebook.

Do you remember the 2003 award-winning movie Anger Management, directed by Peter Segal, starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler? Adam Sandler plays a businessman mistakenly sentenced to an anger management program. Jack Nicholson plays an aggressive anger management instructor.

It probably is not a good sign that anger is so common that millions of people will go see a movie just to laugh about it. It is also telling that the instructor in the movie had more difficulty controlling his anger than did his students. This is equivalent to a driver’s education instructor who cannot drive a car.

In the movie, this makes for comic relief. In the world, this makes for hypocrisy. Few people think anger is a good thing. It can make the blood boil and keep us awake at night. There is no way to be angry and have the peace of Christ. There is no way to be angry and share the peace of Christ.

Jesus teaches, “Let go. Get over the rage. Turn the page. Make peace even with your adversaries.” Letting go, not being mad, and making peace is hard.

I remember watching an interview of former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight, who once got so mad during a televised basketball game with Purdue University that he famously picked up the chair he was sitting on and threw it completely across the floor.

During the interview, Coach admitted he really did have a hard time controlling his temper. You may have heard the saying, “Don’t beat a dead horse.” Coach Knight’s wife told him once, “You can get off now, Bob. The horse is dead.”

Some things that make us mad are minor. We usually get over them quickly and move on. But some things that happen are life-altering and moving on is next to impossible. When we, or someone we deeply care about, is wronged in a serious way, it is not comparable to a bad call by a referee in a basketball game. Holding a grudge can be a natural reaction to a serious grievance.

It is important to point out Jesus does not say, “You do not have a reason to be angry.” He does not say, “You are not justified in being angry when you or someone you love suffers harm.” What Jesus teaches is “If you want to be forgiven, then you have to forgive too.”

Jesus arguably makes the “Don’t Stay Mad” doctrine even harder for us when he sets aside what is a popular notion — “Don’t get mad. Get even.” Unfortunately, Jesus rules out revenge too! Can you feel the disciple’s hill getting steeper to climb all the time? I can…

Christ’s teachings about forgiveness are drawn from the Personal Holiness Code in Leviticus, which reads “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”

More often quoted today, however, and also found in Leviticus, is the standard “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” This principle is commonly misused as an excuse for retaliation when what it really calls for is that the scales of justice be in balance.

In other words, we don’t amputate the hand that shoplifts or stone adulterers to death, but we do want the punishment to fit the crime.

If you have a grievance, and you want to know how to turn the page and get over the rage or if you are fighting the instinct to get even, I encourage you to read Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7).

You can also join us Saturdays @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Our series on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount continues with the message “Privacy Please” based on Matthew 6.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee and government contractor, is at the center of a political firestorm that has much of America talking about loyalty.

The story line is that Snowden allegedly leaked classified information concerning our National Security Agency’s authorized gathering of the electronic communications of millions of Americans.

Some people say Snowden, who fled the country, is a traitor for giving away secrets that threaten national security. Others believe he is a patriot whistleblower for revealing the extent of Big Brother’s overreach to gather the private communications of U.S. Citizens.

Regardless how you feel about Snowden, the controversy illustrates the importance and the challenge we sometimes face in deciding loyalty.

Loyalty decisions are more a matter of conscience than law, more a matter of internal debate than national debate, more a matter of private personal integrity than national political scandal.

If the question is “Should I be loyal to God, to my country, to my spouse, to my employer, to my friends,” the answer should be easy. “Yes!” If the question is “Should I be loyal to a gang, to an immoral creed to which I foolishly agreed, or to self interest at the expense of community good,” then the answer is easy once again — “No.”

This will sound too wishywashy to fit comfortably even in my world view, but questions of loyalty are often not so easy to answer unless they are rooted and grounded in faith and even then we may be left wondering …

Loyalty has always been a magnetic field made up of many magnets. We have many allegiances. Our beliefs and our sentiments are not always on the same page. God knows how fickle we can be and how often we make mistakes.

Is it controversial to say “We are a nation and a people of divided loyalties?” I think not.

Is it right to say “We require God’s help deciding our loyalties?” I think so.

After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, after he made mistake after mistake trying to conceal what he had done, David was confronted by Nathan the prophet.

And David prayed, “Have mercy on me God because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51)

David’s predicament must surely have seemed a national political scandal, but it was ultimately a matter of private personal integrity, albeit in his case, one with dramatic and long-lasting public implications.

David was a great leader who proved himself human.

The Apostle Paul may have been thinking about David when, centuries later, Paul counseled young Timothy. “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. Enjoythecompanionshipofthose who call on the Lord with clean hearts.” (2 Timothy)

If you happen to be among the masses thinking about loyalty these days, then answer the question as it pertains not to Edward Snowden but to you. “To what or to whom will you be loyal?”

Most of us do not work for the CIA or the NSA. We do not have access to national security secrets, but we do make loyalty decisions every day and, in so doing, we are well-advised to remember the words of Jesus. “No one can serve two masters.”

(Luke 16)

Make God your moral compass. Pray for a clean heart and a loyal spirit…

Join us Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

Do you need a prescription for a wisdom-filled today? Do you sometimes make unwise decisions even about simple things? Perhaps you are at a major crossroads in your life and you want to be sure to get it right. Welcome to the human condition! The Good News is the pharmacy is open this weekend at Steeple on the Beach.

The bad news is there is no drive-up window, no quick fix and no pill for you to take that will make you wise, but I do pray you realize there are more than a few biblical principles to bring you wisdom’s way …

This is a time of year for graduations and welldeserved celebrations. It is a great time for the graduates, and for the rest of us, to reflect and respond to our pressing need for wisdom, how we might best achieve it, how we might best hold onto it should God grant that we receive it.

We have to embrace the need.

The human condition is short-lived and, however much we learn, there is always so much more.

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

We have to want it and work for it.

Wisdom does not come easy. Seeing the need and wishing for it is not enough. Thank God for the graduate who walks through commencement exercises still thirsting for wisdom.

“Seek wisdom like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure.” (Proverbs 2:4) “Prize her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you for your embrace.” (Proverbs 4:8)

We have to pray for it.

Wisdom is a supernatural gift from God. It is not something we achieve on our own.

Dennis Andrews Ed. D. Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

It is heartbreaking to see the recent photograph of Martin Richard, a smiling 8-year-old boy, holding a sign that reads “No More Hurting People!”

The heartbreak is because Martin was the youngest of the Boston Marathon bombing victims. Some might say Martin’s tragic passing is no more catastrophic than the loss of 23- year-old Lu Lingzi or 29-year-old Krystle Campbell or 26- year-old M.I.T. police officer Sean Collier. But there is something extra compelling about the innocence of a child’s smile and the ideal of a child’s message when that very child is victim to senseless terror.

We are shocked so often by irrational acts of violence that we have to wonder why we continue to be shocked. Whatever evil drives such heinous acts of cowardice, our response must be toward love and justice, not hatred or revenge. At times like these, even love and justice seem polar opposites, but in Christ they are inseparable.

Roman Catholic Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley at Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross last week spoke of the pain and looked ahead to what he called our “spiritual recovery.” In so doing, he acknowledges that even when the human spirit is trampled, God’s Spirit prevails.

This explains the resilience of people sustained by faith to courageously rebound from tragedy, to persevere in the face of uncertainty, and to somehow do so with compassion and restraint.

The teaching to respond in this way comes from Jesus….. Jesus says, “I say to you to listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt …

Do to others as you would have them do to you … Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” {Luke 6} Christ’s teaching is challenging and following Christ is challenging …

Do to others as you wish others do to you presumes good intentions. We know some children are raised to love life while others are raised to loath and murder.

We know the human instinct to a sucker punch is not to turn the other cheek. Many of us feel the desired response to a terrorist is to bomb the bomber, to match force with superior force.

The Good News for the world is Jesus is more than a Teacher. He is the omnipotent force to turn the downward spiral upward to the heavens. He surpasses evil on his way to the cross where he conquers sin and death once and for all.

To people of all ages and all nations, he says, “Pick up your cross and follow me. You will be sorrowful but your sorrow will turn to joy. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.”

Each week at church, we share the peace of Christ with each other. We desperately need to share the peace of Christ in the world, especially when and where it is not easy. May God’s Spirit prevail and may there be no more hurting people …

Please come this Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. to hear the message “Love Wins!” based on John 13: 34 – 35.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

On Easter, we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but what does this amazing life-yielding miracle have to do with a bunny and painted eggs?

The short answer is, “Maybe not so much!”

Every year, Christians revisit Jesus and his disciples entering Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the Jewish holy season that commemorates the Hebrews’ release from slavery. And, every year, we study our Lord’s arrest, crucifixion, death and resurrection.

It’s no surprise people of Jewish origin were among the first to celebrate the resurrection, likely as a new facet of the Passover festival. In fact, the Easter celebration, Pascha, in Aramaic and Greek, is derived from the Hebrew Passover. An early sacred ritual of Easter was the lighting of the Pashcal candle. You can see where this candle derives its name. The Pashcal candle symbolizes light out of darkness similar to the Christ candle of Christmas.

Originally, Easter was celebrated two days after Passover but this meant Easter could fall on any day of the week. In 325 A.D., Roman Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicea ruled Easter would always fall on Sunday, this being the day of the week Christ rose from the dead.

It was also the Council of Nicea that decided Easter would be celebrated the first Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox. Easter would then always fall on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. As Christianity spread through Europe, pagan European customs began to emerge and spread. In fact, some argue that Easter may have received its modern -day name from Eostre, the goddess of spring and fertility, which brings us to the Easter bunny and Easter egg.

Easter bunnies and Easter eggs were a perfect match, although one probably not made in heaven. The fertile bunny, at least in connection with Easter, didn’t show up until about the 16th century, but had long been a symbol of new life. Eggs, on the other hand, have been a symbol of life and birth for thousands of years.

The advent of Easter bunnies and Easter eggs led to children being told, if they were well-behaved, the Easter bunny would visit and leave Easter eggs as presents. It seems we are always looking for incentives to make children behave; thus, chocolate eggs and other gifts enter the Easter equation too!

President Rutherford B. Hayes, who served in the White House from 1877 to 1881, once said, “To avoid even the appearance of evil, I think sometimes I have unnecessarily deprived myself and others of innocent enjoyment.”

President Hayes deprived no one of innocent enjoyment when he approved egg rolling and egg hunting for the first time on the White House lawn, a tradition that remains today, at least unless it is cancelled due to sequestration …

I encourage you not to deprive yourself this Sunday. Celebrate the miracle of the resurrection.

If you choose to do so at Steeple on the Beach, please know we will have an Easter bunny and an Easter egg hunt for the children at 9:45 a.m. between Easter Sunday worship services! Why? Because children and church are the perfect match made in heaven!

Join us Holy Saturday at 6 p.m.in historic Briggs Hall to watch Mel Gibson’s movie “Passion of the Christ.” There is no charge for admission and refreshments will be provided.

Join us for a spectacular Easter Sunday Celebration at 8:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. in our beautiful sanctuary. The message this weekend is “Conquering the Inevitable” based on the 15th chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. www.communitych.org or find us on Facebook.

Our son, still a very young man, takes a well-deserved early retirement from the army this week. He returned from Iraq last year with more injuries than desires to explain them. But he is among the ranks of our more fortunate veterans who physically, mentally and emotionally survive the call to duty. Like most Americans, we are grateful. Like most parents, we are proud.

I remember our son as a young boy playing on the floor with those little green rubber soldiers. He would, as a child with pretense and make-believe, make sounds and crashing noises he would hear for real as a young man. I suspect he prays to forget those noises now …

It was a great privilege to see him carry the flag for his graduating class. A few years later, it was an even greater privilege for his mother and me to join a few thousand family members in the wee hours before sunrise to welcome home a few hundred of our soldiers.

It was joyful when the troops marched in formation to meet families straining to see and have that first glimpse of their soldier. All around us, we heard families when they saw their soldier excitedly call out, “There he is! There he is!”

It was somber when the troops once assembled were held in formation. There was a respectful silence that set upon this jubilant crowd when the troops were addressed by their commanding officer.

He gave thanks for each soldier being safely reunited with families and he gave thanks for the honored few who had already returned home, soldiers deployed with these troops the preceding year, but returned earlier, after having been seriously injured or after having given the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Billy Graham once wrote on the topic of duty that “every generation is strategic. God will hold us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age and how well or how poorly we take advantage of the opportunities we have.”

If you believe as I do that answering the call to duty for our nation is important then faint not at the idea, it is even more important that we answer the call to duty in the church Christ leads.

When Jesus says, “Come, you that are blessed” he challenges the very people who say we are his disciples to chose a path that is neither pretense nor make-believe.

It is the Christian’s uncomplicated call to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. And we will be held to account as to how well or how poorly we take advantage of our abundant opportunities to do these things.

MATTHEW 25

The Truth is we serve a Lord even greater than the greatest nation in the history of the world, who makes it possible for even fallen soldiers to reunite one day with loved ones.

JOHN 12:27

Jesus says, “For now my soul is troubled and what should I say — ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.”

Friends, these are among the reasons we are blessed to answer our call to duty!

Join us Saturday @ Six and Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. The Sunday Message “Call to Duty” is based on Matthew 25: 31 – 40.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

Have you ever heard about the man who was quizzing his wife during half-time of the Super Bowl to find out if she had ever before been in love with another man?

The man’s wife finally answered, but only after reflecting on the question far too long.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “When I was in high school, I really liked one boy for his impressive intellect. Then, there was that spectacular athlete in college I admired because of his humor, courage and character.”

Then she paused, smiled and wistfully said, “And after college, oh my, there was that one young man I was attracted to because of his amazing good looks and charm. But surely you understand that, with you dear, the only explanation is love!” We can argue whether the man’s question or the woman’s answer is worse, but we can agree that we get more than a little confused about love and we trivialize that which we need the most.

Some people claim to love the Super Bowl, but have no idea who won the game last year. Other people say they love the Super Bowl commercials, but, the day after seeing them, have no remembrance of what they promote.

And, sometimes, perhaps like the woman responding to her husband’s prodding, we label something as love if we don’t know what else to call it or how else to explain it.

The truth is what the world needs most is love – genuine love, unending love, the kind of love Paul describes in the 13th chapter of his letter to the Corinthians. Read it, re-read it, and try your best to apply it to your life, especially to the people you love!

Some of you will remember Hal David’s song lyrics “What the World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love” put to music by Burt Bacharach and popularized by singer Dionne Warwick. The song was thought to draw special meaning out of the context of the turbulent 1960s and early ‘70s.

But, behind the simple lyrics and the catchy tune is a Biblical truth and a basic human need that passes like time from one generation to the next. Our need for love is really our need for God. The Ten Commandments and the holiness code of the Torah are based on God’s steadfast love that runs deeper and lasts longer than mere admiration, attraction, amusement or even personal enjoyment, even though we often seem to value these other things more.

God’s love flows much like the Jordan penetrates the wilderness. The heaven opens and the Spirit of Love descends like a dove, but somehow the song’s lyrics still ring true to me and you.

Love still is the only thing there’s just too little of, not just for some, but for everyone. Lord, we don’t need another mountain or another meadow. There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb. There are oceans and rivers enough to cross, enough to last ‘til the end of time. What the world needs now is love, sweet love!

The Good News is this.

God is love and the Holy Word of God made flesh reveals God’s unending love to the world in Christ. God comes to the world to save the world. And, in Christ, finally and forever, we have the love we need, all the instruction, all the encouragement and the foundation for a song that never ends.

What the world needs now is not a new Super Bowl champion. What the world needs now is for us to share the love we already have.

Join us this weekend Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. The Message “What the World Needs Now” is based on 1 Corinthians 13.

Rev. Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.