Our theme for today is love. Of course, ultimately every one of our messages is about love: God’s love for us and our love for one another, and the love we are called to have for the world for which Christ died. However we are going to focus a little more intently than normal on the meaning of love today. In our lesson from John’s Gospel we read these words: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you d…