Loving this World
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.”
1 John 2:15-17
Don’t you love this world? I mean, really love it?
Each morning, when I drive my kids to school, I am struck by the beauty of the world we inhabit. Typically, it is our custom to leave our house just as the sun begins its triumphant ascent on the eastern horizon. As we drive east, our faces are lit up by the sun’s brilliant tones of amber. The effect is almost therapeutic, like a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning or a hot bath after a long day at work. It reminds us of the beauty of this world. It makes us smile.
Christianity is a world-affirming religion. The Biblical story begins with the repeated affirmation that the Creation (this world) is good. God makes this claim no less than seven times in Genesis 1. And, on day six, we read that “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) This world, with all its natural ornamentation, was not simply good, but “very” good. What’s more, the creation is a central character in God’s story of redemption. So much so that John describes the purpose of Jesus’ coming as motivated out of love for the “world.” (John 3:16) To be sure, Jesus came to die for our sins, but he also came to restore and beautify the world (Cf. Revelation 21-22). The entire Biblical story—from beginning to end—is very much world-affirming.
So, how do we make sense of our lectionary reading today from 1 John which seems to say the opposite, “Do not love the world or the things in the world?” (1 John 2:15) Well, it’s important to note that John is not talking about the physical world (things like mountains, flowers, or rivers). When John uses the term “world” here, he is using it ethically. In verse 16, he explains, “…For all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16) In other words, the “world” represents all that is in opposition to God’s kingdom (e.g., evil and sin).
As Christians, we are called to love this world and, at the same time, not to love this world. On the one hand, this means that we are to delight in God’s good creation. It means that we should practice a sort of mindfulness in which we enjoy the little moments which allow us to connect to our environment. Yet, taken in the latter sense, it means that we should also strive to keep the unethical and sinful aspects of life at bay through His Word and through prayer and repenting when sinful desires crop up. So, as you begin your day today, remember to look for God in the beauty of His creation. Remember to enjoy the little moments which allow you to connect more deeply with your world, and also remember that, as a Christian, God invites you to pursue a better way of living.
