Today, we were delighted to welcome back the Reverend Karen Bell.

Karen began her message by saying that “our world is getting more and more scary.” She felt drawn to thinking about love and how much our world desperately needs it!

Karen’s inspiration was taken from Joanne Harris’s book and the film based on the book, Chocolat. Within the story, the heroine does the job that the resident priest should be doing – listening and loving to the people and encouraging change, the act of forgiveness and the healing of relationships.

Karen’s passage of reference was John 15 v 9-13, where we thought about love and abiding in Him.  We need to live in His love and live His love to others, then the world would be a far better place!

Most of us do not mean any harm but we can be judgmental – we may have different values and may come from different backgrounds to others plus it can be difficult to love those who hurt us, but we can choose to love one another unconditionally everyday with God’s help. We may even find that if we love others the way God love us, especially if we pray, that hard hearts will be softened and will touch individual lives and impact others.

Jesus died on the cross for us.  Why? Because we are worth it! Jesus’s love, grace and mercy is extended to all who believe.  Jesus cried, ” It is finished”, His mission was complete. Love is what we need – Let’s live and walk in love.