The Speed of Love
Years ago, I had the privilege to travel to Africa for a mission trip. We had a team of high school and college-aged athletes from the States, a couple of basketball coaches, and two youth pastors. We partnered with a local church to reach the youth in an impoverished area by setting up free basketball camps. We would then present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the youth and then connect the young people to the local church that was there for them with feeding programs, education, and a Christian community.
While I was there, I fell in love with that nation and the people, specifically the African guides who were with us, driving us from place to place. They all had an innate joy that was so contagious. I found myself learning so much more from them than they probably learned from us.
“You Americans, so many watches, never enough time.”
One morning, our team of Americans was rushing from one place to another in an attempt to make the greatest impact on as many youth as possible. We frantically looked at our watches, hoping to stay on schedule. In our rush, our humble African driver just shook his head, looked at me, and said, “You Americans, so many watches, never enough time.” That simple statement arrested my attention. It made me wonder if, in all our efforts to do so much, we had diminished the depth of love we were hoping to express. In our attempts to multiply our efforts, had we reduced the time necessary to make it meaningful?
For a long time now, I had always believed that money was the most valuable commodity. I no longer believe that. Time is a much greater treasure. In America, we spend so much time gaining material things and multiply surface-level relationships that are as thin deep as the glass we look through on our iPhones and social media accounts.
I came across a quote from Kosuke Koyama, a Japanese Theologian, who said, “God walks ‘slowly’ because He is love. If He is not love, He would have gone much faster. Love has its speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It is ‘slow,’ yet it is the lord over all other speeds since it is the speed of love.”
Love is painfully time-consuming. There are no shortcuts to giving love the value of time it deserves. To love well means we must slow down. I have often admired the moments in Scripture where Jesus is giving His attention to one individual. Think about that! The Son of God, The Maker of Heaven and Earth, The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, has all His attention on one person! He is not in a hurry to move on, He and all His Heavenly resources are fixated on one individual! And then He takes things a step further. He heals them dramatically and says, “Tell no one” (See Matthew 8:3-5). Wait, what?! Jesus, doesn’t He want the fame and attention from more people after the miracle? No. He just wants to love fully, purely, and protect the intention of why He is standing in front of this one person…it was all about them and them alone!
Dallas Willard said once, “Hurry is the best enemy of a spiritual life in our day.” He is right. We are driven to move so fast; we never stop to move at the speed of love.
“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16-17 AMPC)
My encouragement to you is to slow down and let God love you. Give Him your undivided attention so that He can give you His. When you encounter that love, you will be forever changed. God’s speed of love will be so impactful that it will become the model you use to love others in the same manner.
By Joseph E.O. Mead