1 John teaches that God is love and we love because God first loved us. Abiding in love, God abides in us. In today’s gospel Jesus calls himself the true vine and those who abide in him bear much fruit. He is the vine and we are the branches reaching out to bear the fruit of love, mercy, and God’s acceptance of others. Love casts out fear. A church reaches out in love, caring for those in need and those whom the world rejects or has forgotten. We cannot say we love God while hating our sisters and brothers, because God is love.
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