The Hymn 'By Schaeffer's' The Mark Of A Christian

Undoubtedly, upon completion of the book, The Mark of a Christian, the hymn “and they’ll we know we are Christians by our love” rang in my head for the following week. Throughout the book, Schaeffer emphasis the necessity of Christian love for all people, especially fellow Christians. Throughout the readings, one idea shines brightest –love. No matter how we flip, realign or redirect it, the message is abundantly clear: God is love. (1 John 4:8 | Reeves 44) However, Schaffer’s call for Christians to be marked by love is one that all Christians have heard before. If anything, his emphasis on this mark of love, should not reiterate but stress its competition. Initially reading through this novel, one question rang loudly in my ear: How best do I show my neighbor love? For many, ideas of compassion and kindness are the first to appear; however, I’m come to realize that the best was to imitate quality of love God sets as our standard (Schaeffer 21), we must proclaim the beauty and sacrifice of the triune God. The ministry of reconciliation is an overarching theme throughout our lives. Reconciling vertically, that is, with humanity can

This understanding is crucial in evangelizing. Our role as Christians is not be saviors, instead we are to lead others to him. ‘Conversational street sweeping’ allows for us to build relationships with our neighbors in a way that is not condescending or judging. These conversations are the foundation for relationships, relationships that we should want to have. At the center of these relationships there should be God’s love. Although his love is infinite, and our love can never match this standard (Schaeffer 20), it is a measure we can be guided by. This standard can tame our pride and provide humility so that our relationships are nourished and can