“Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all.”
Gilbert K. Chesterton
Every Sunday, my team helps in the service at International Protestant Assembly (IPA) in various capacities, ranging from children’s ministry to coffee ministry. The seven of us disperse among all the different options we’re given, one of which is called Mom2Mom. Mom2Mom is a ministry designed to incorporate children playing together to develop social skills as well as encourage mothers to build relationships with one another.
On a typical Sunday morning, there may be up to six or seven mothers along with their precious babes hanging out in the M2M room during service. I quickly volunteered for this particular spot on our first day at IPA because that is the very thing my heart beats for. I fully enjoy getting to know mothers and I have a deep love for infants and toddlers. Put two things that I love in one room and I can hardly contain myself.
The first week I served in M2M, my heart was beyond full. I had gotten to know a dutch father who was humbly serving his wife by allowing her to be in service while he watched their two beautiful girls. I played with one of our host’s little beauties which, in retrospect, was the mere beginning of quite the lovely friendship. But, overall, I walked away from my first Mom2Mom experience completely satisfied.
Now, enter week three of serving. I’ve hopped from one ministry to another since that first day in M2M, but I found myself back in my favorite place, nestled between moms and their precious children. The service was lightly attended due to the cold, dreary rain. What I hadn’t yet seen was about to completely crash my world. I hadn’t yet seen the young Roma woman who was hanging out in the M2M room with her precious boy, Tom*.
As I walked into the room, she wasn’t hard to miss. She was the only one not sitting on the floor with her child. She was the only one not in typical Sunday best. She was the only one mindlessly staring as her child, Tom, toddled about with not a care in the world.
As other mothers entered the room throughout service, they were wary about these unfamiliar, yet so familiar souls in the room with their children. And, truly, who can blame them? He is familiar because the people here know the Roma culture all too well. They know the diseases and the abuse all too well. Little Tom is a waddling disease with the name of impetigo and hits others when they have something he wants. Their knowledge about such a culture of outcasts is the very thing that keeps them from loving these people well.
But, here I was with Tom and his mom. I can’t make conversation with Tom’s mom, but I can play with Tom. I can keep him from other children to ease the other mom’s wary hearts. I can do my best to keep him entertained so his mom doesn’t hit him in front of the others in an effort to discipline such a tiny soul.
As the morning trudged onward, one mom left out of protection for her precious 7 month old while another did her best to softly discipline Tom. But not one made conversation with his mom. One lost chance for relationship came and went.
That Sunday morning, my heart was broken for the outcasts, rejected, and the forgotten. Those are the ones the Father chases after, but how many times do we miss it out of our own need for comfortability and protection? Jesus didn’t consider His own comfortability when He was beaten and battered for our holy redemption.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Certainly, God threw protection out the window when He sacrificed His one and only Son.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
So much sacrifice and surrender given for the outcasts, rejected, and the forgotten. So much sacrifice shown for you and me. And, so much love freely given for all the unlovables.
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
Romans 5:18
Just like Jesus extended love to us when we were unlovable, so should we extend love to those who are unlovable even by cultural standards.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
John 15:12
*Name changed
