"I love God"

Even after years of being aware of divine coinciding events, I continue to be amazed from time to time at the divine wisdom and timing of supposed coincidences.  So it was when a predetermined three-year cycle scripture readings in services this morning settled heavy on my heart after a week of media coverage of riots (or rebellion, if you prefer) in Baltimore.

Excerpts from 1 John 4:7-21 riveted my attention:
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God...Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love....No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us....Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.  The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also."

I cannot believe that scripture fell onto our ears by accident this week. No one in the news this week--police, rioters, or media--could have behaved the way they did if they truly loved those around them. By extension that means they can't really love God or be a perfecting agent God intended them to be.
As I go into the world this week, I will be more conscious of loving those around me, even (maybe especially) the really irritating one.  That is how I allow love to be perfected in me.