Pure

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 

 - From I Peter 2

There it is: Perhaps the most ignored, misused, under-appreciated, and yet fundamentally essential word (culturally) of our times.

Pure.

Although I eschew the very idea of church membership, nevertheless by default I am a member of the Dexter United Methodist Church. For years, many of us have observed that it is an excellent church to which to invite friends, family, and other seekers. 

It is a "safe" place to take them. The people of this church will not get in your face with faux kindness. They will give you space to get what you can from Scripture, without telling you what to think about it. They will invite you to participate, right away, if you're willing, into highly practical and relevant local or global ministries. There is a focus on serving the truly needy in our communities. 

The sermons and other teaching hew pretty close to what Peter is talking about - the spiritual "milk" which is perfect for the developing bodies of newborns. We live our lives, probably, closer to newborns in the Christian walk, than to seasoned elders. 

Milk will always be right for us. It's easy on the stomach. It requires very little active breaking down, on the part of the entire digestive system.

 . . . if it's pure. 

But if it's not pure - and a lot of the milk we buy from stores today isn't - we wind up with physical impairments. Spiritually, it's no different. What constitutes new, pure, spiritual milk for a new (or old) believer? Simply, the same stuff that drew you to Christ in the first place: kindness from others. Emphasis on our need for Christ, as He is the only path we have, to get beyond death (and isn't death the very essence of all of our problems?). 

But there's a lot more to the word "pure." Yes, pure is easy on the stomach. But it represents basic, well-rounded nutritional soundness that is good for all of our lives. Spiritual milk is all about love. But love is the hardest thing of all. Paul called it "The greatest" of all spiritual virtues. 

It is not easy to love. But real love represents the fullness of purity. 

As we go into situations today and in the weeks following, that challenge our faith; that attempt to draw us into bitter arguments, remember that our entire point is purity. And purity means, simply, love - real love. Godly love. Simple love. 

And pure love is the basic thing driving everything that we do.