Ellen Unger I recently performed a funeral for a woman who, for 70 plus years, would tell her husband “I love you always” whenever they left one another and he would say the same in return. They also signed everything they ever wrote to each other with “Always” and then eventually added “in all ways.” The song Always, written by Irving Berlin in 1925 as a wedding gift for his own wife, was this couple’s favorite song. …I’ll be loving you Always, With a love that’s true Always, When the things you’ve planned need a helping hand, I will understand Always. Always. Days may not be fair Always, That’s when I’ll be there Always, Not for just an hour, Not for just a day, Not for just a year, but Always. Always, all ways. That’s the love of God to me. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God’s love for us is an “Always, in all ways” kind of love. There’s no greater kind of love than this. According to Ephesians it is high, wide, long, and deep, the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge and understanding. God’s love; the kind of love that weaves its way through the fabric of our lives. And we are called to express this kind of love to others. Every day we are given opportunities to express God’s love in all ways to people of every size, shape, color, race, orientation, age, job status, you name it. It’s to be freely given whether people are lovable or unlovable. It can be as simple as a smile and a wave as you pass someone driving the opposite way from you, taking someone a meal, reaching out to someone who hasn’t been to church in a while, and more. There are so many ways to express this love and it seems so easy. But the reality is that it’s hard to be this kind of love on our own. We can’t do it without the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us. Every day we are presented with the opportunity to be patient and kind, to honor others above ourselves, to give selflessly, to forgive, to celebrate, protect, trust, hope and persevere. It is my prayer that I always, in all ways, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will be expressing this “Always” kind of love to everyone I meet. TIME FOR REFLECTION: How are you expressing this “Always, in all ways” love to those around you?How are you expressing it to the “others” and “least of these?”How are you expressing this love to yourself?