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Tag Archives: Love

Love In the Era of Cancel Culture

Love In the Era of Cancel Culture

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

It’s become a tradition of mine to write a love-themed post around Valentine’s Day each year. I have mostly steered clear from writing about romantic love because, while that’s the usual theme of Valentine’s Day, I’m far from a romance expert (understatement) and besides, that genre has been overdone (my humble and not-so-popular opinion). Instead, I’ve tended to focus more on the other aspects and manifestations of love. . . and never in my thirty-six years has LOVE been a concept more in need of some attention.

Over the past few years—especially since the start of COVID, and even more so since the recent presidential election—it seems we have all forgotten how to love. In fact, it seems we have entirely forgotten how to even be decent to one another. Kindness and common courtesy have been checked at the door as we openly boycott people whose views or lifestyles differ from ours, unfollow individuals who don’t openly espouse our own pet agendas, and harshly condemn anyone we believe has stepped out of line. All this is purportedly done in the name of truth and integrity. Sadly, it seems our high-minded values have blinded us to our own incivility.

I am all for standing up for one’s values, and I do not believe flagrant violence or hatred should ever be tolerated, but I just don’t think this incessant game of character policing is the answer. I truly believe it is possible to love people, even when we disagree. In fact, I KNOW it is possible, because it’s seen throughout Scripture.

The Bible doesn’t just give us permission to love our enemies; it commands it. In Romans 12, Paul encourages his readers to be devoted to one another in love, to bless those who persecute them, and to live in harmony with one another. Our nation would be a much more unified place if we each agreed to take just ONE of these practices into consideration.

To love others is not to condone their bad behavior, and a loving posture does not require us to compromise our values. But love DOES ask us to approach every individual with empathy and a willingness to assume the best in the people we struggle to understand. With love driving our interactions, we can fundamentally disagree with somebody while still respecting their ideas (or at least their right to have those ideas), honoring their personhood, and recognizing their intrinsic value.

Of course, there is a time and place for disagreement and helpful dialogue. (Arguably, social media platforms are rarely the right time or place for these sorts of disagreements.) But compassion, connection, and commitment to common courtesy MUST take precedence over our perceived needs of being heard and being right.

I hate to seem clichéd, but I really do think we would all benefit from looking to Jesus’ model for how to love those around us—including those who agree with us, AND those who don’t. Jesus spent much of his time with the worst of sinners, and while he regularly called them away from their sinful lifestyles, he never led with condemnation. Jesus welcomed deniers and deceivers into his closest circles. . . he forgave behaviors that were culturally punishable by execution. . . he extended compassion to people whose actions rendered them worthless in the eyes of society. . . he washed the feet of the man who was about to betray him. . . he humbled himself to life in human form, and then gave that very life for a world who has repeatedly turned against him. 

When Jesus—God Himself—commands us to love one another as He has loved us (i.e., sacrificially and with no strings attached), who are we to argue?

In seeking out present-day examples of people who are excelling at loving others, I have been inspired time and again by the example set by Bob Goff. Bob has written books on how to love others, and from the outside looking in, it appears that he fully lives out the principles he espouses in his book. On his podcast, Bob regularly invites guests whose lifestyles and values likely don’t align with his own or those of his audience. But he doesn’t spend time justifying his interview choices or over-explaining his own perspectives. Instead, he meets guests where they are, extending loving kindness in his dialogue and his treatment of those on the other side of him. Bob occasionally talks about Jesus, but more importantly, He follows Jesus’ example of letting his loving actions speak louder than his words.

Both Bob and Jesus have shown us that love comes without an agenda. We don’t love others so that they will begin to see things our way, or to make ourselves look good, or even in the hopes that we will receive the same love (or courtesy) in return. WE JUST LOVE! Our loving words and actions might not make sense to our earthly selves, and we might feel as though loving our enemies is compromising our integrity or undermining our message. We might find ourselves loving people who truly hate us and want nothing to do with our extended olive branches. But in this upside-down Kingdom that Jesus invites us to be a part of, we have no excuse. We love simply because He first loved us.

Filed Under: Reflections
Quotable // from Alain de Botton

Quotable // from Alain de Botton

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

“Love is a skill, not just an enthusiasm.” ~ Alain de Botton Continue Reading

Filed Under: Quotable
There Is No Fear In Love

There Is No Fear In Love

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Edited to Add: I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, when the coronavirus wasn’t even on my radar, and before our world became crippled by fear. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that God was already leading me to trust Him with all of my fears and guiding me to write on a… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Old Love

Old Love

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 1 Comment

On our first Valentine’s Day together, Luke and I had only been dating for a little over a month. Still in the lovey-dovey stage of early romance, we used the holiday as an excuse to fulfill every romantic cliché in the book. I baked Luke a batch of his favorite cookies and neatly stacked them… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Quotable // from Henri Nouwen

Quotable // from Henri Nouwen

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

“Do not hesitate to love and to love deeply. As you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of the fruit it will bear.” ~ Henri Nouwen Continue Reading

Filed Under: Quotable
This Is Love

This Is Love

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day—possibly the most polarizing day of the year. While this holiday has its devotees (of which I am one), its detractors are a vocal and rather vicious bunch.  I get it. Despite claims to the contrary, Valentine’s Day is a real holiday and not just a construct of Hallmark’s marketing team. But… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Quotable // from Desmond Tutu

Quotable // from Desmond Tutu

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

“We are each made for goodness, love and compassion. Our lives are transformed as much as the world is when we live with these truths.” ~ Desomond Tutu Continue Reading

Filed Under: Quotable
Quotable // from Rumi  Jalaluddin

Quotable // from Rumi Jalaluddin

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~ Jalaluddin Rumi Continue Reading

Filed Under: Quotable
What I Learned in April

What I Learned in April

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Kendra Jernejcic • 4 Comments

The month of April is drawing to a close, which means it’s time for me to share what I have learned over the last thirty(ish) days. From random pieces of trivia to more profound lessons, here are a few things the month of April has taught me. 1. I never feel more at peace –… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Fun Valentine’s Day Facts

Fun Valentine’s Day Facts

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Kendra Jernejcic • 1 Comment

Holidays are funny things: they shape so much of our lives, from the days we get off work and the decorations we have displayed around our homes, to (most significantly) the color of M&Ms we are currently munching. But despite their significance, we often know very little about the days we are celebrating. And so,… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Just for Fun
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  • Hi, I’m Kendra! I am a follower of Jesus, an avid reader and podcast-listener, an Enneagram enthusiast, and a big fan of lists. Born and raised in Southern California, I am now living life in Austin, Texas, with my husband Luke, our son Charleston (2015), twins Sullivan and Kalinda (2019), and Arlo the Labradoodle. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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