Dionne Warwick several years ago sang a song and these words were spoken. ”What the world needs no, is love sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” I believe these words hit home for many people in the turbulence times that we live in today. Sometimes you wonder why is there so much evil in the world? Why so much pain? Why so much heartache? Why so much death? We are inclined to trust in him who suffered so much all for the sake of righteousness and for our sins not his. Surely one might not even dare to complain in comparison to Jesus, yet his pain reminds us that we will suffer in life; but his pain also lets us know that he cares unconditionally and understands everything that will happen, has happened and shall happen in your life. Our response to evil is to respond to evil with good as the apostle Paul says. Do not do what is expected, but stretch yourself to do the unexpected so that your heavenly father is pleased and our character can be trusted.
Have you ever loved someone or something enough that you literally began to see it come back to Life? (sort of like water does to a dying plant). Have you been resurrected or restored by the power of Love? It is the most beautiful encounter that the Soul and Spirit can encounter. 1 Corinthians 13 is the leading book in the bible that provides a model of what Love looks like, sounds like and should feel like. It is a unique Love Check that brings forth a deeper level of Learning how to Love. Gary Chapman, the author of The Five Love Languages over 3 decades ago wrote this amazing book that shadows our submission to Authentically Loving others, primarily our mates, however, I have used this book to discover the powerful recognition/reckoning that these paths lead us into loving others and ourselves. The focus of five portals, patterns or paths to Love- Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving gifts, Acts of Service and Physical touch are extremely resourceful for such a time as this. It is the compass that will direct us in Loving others in a Crisis and navigate us in the ways in which the master has created us to Love. 
The Intimacy of Christ is what drives our Intentions to Impact and Influence others through the power of Love. What does Love have to do with this Crisis?- Absolutely Everything! It is what will lead us beyond the old into the new normal (new thing- Isaiah 43) that the creator has created his creatures and creations for. It is what will transport us beyond the shock, the sorrow, the sting of grief, unemployment, trauma, death, disease, disaster, depression, misunderstandings, failed relationships, etc. and into a Lasting relationships that are Relevant, Relational, Responsible and Revelational. In layman’s terms, it is what makes us stop and greet the elder when they are moving slow. It encourages us to be patient with a spouse that is struggling with their past and fails to communicate with us. It affords us to sow into the lives of others who have no food, no monthly income or even the basics to live. It is what makes us get up in the middle of the night when tired and began to fervently pray for our brothers and sisters. It is what grants us peace even in sorrow or the patience at the grocery store when there is a line out of this world. In other words, as we pay attention to how to love others, we learn how to master self-care and effortlessly love others unconditionally and consistently.
Learning how to love ourselves is one of the best teachers in this process of loving others. Cultivating time to sit still long enough to hear what our body/soul needs and then proceeding to listen to it and develop a process of producing good fruit so that the pitfalls will not prevail or over-power the conditions of the heart. Heart issues lurk and leak out in bad behavior when we do not submit to this Loving truth. Develop good deeds that are not selfishly driven, but Self-care driven so that the world observes a prolific demonstration of God’s heart. So the next time you are tried and tested with adversity or wrong doings, tried with in-patient individuals or stressed at work or home; be reminded of four letters LOVE because Love covers a multitude of sins. Amen! Show somebody some love and watch the flow of blessings enter in their life and yours.