How to Love God (part two): Emotional Love

First of all, the text tells us to love God with all our emotion. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” Many people of the church today strongly feel, however, that emotion has no place in the faith. “We don’t want shouting and weeping and enthusiasm in our church,” they say. They are afraid of emotionalism.

Yet the picture we get of Christ in the New Testament has its dimensions of emotion. Jesus wept when He learned of John the Baptizer’s death. At a wedding party the Lord made more wine for merrymakers. He cried over hard-hearted Jerusalem. He shed tears in the Garden of Gethsemane. He breathed fire at corruption in the temple. And part of the picture of the early disciples is emotion as well. Consider Peter, the big fisherman. He is impulsive, blustering. He is ready to make an enthusiastic endorsement of Christ on the mountaintop. Later he denies Christ and weeps bitter tears. Days later, while fishing in a boat, Christ calls to him from the seashore. And Peter’s heart leaps within him for joy! He dives into the water and is the first to reach Christ’s side. Emotion? Yes, it had its place in the lives of Jesus and Peter. And it has a definite place in the life of every faithful Christian.

Emotion enriches our faith. It doesn’t cheapen it. Which of you would want an emotionless marriage? You find those expressions of joy, of grief, of affection and enthusiasm very meaningful, don’t you? They do not weaken your love! They strengthen it, don’t they? And emotion can do the same for your Christian life.

A member of a small, informal country church was visiting in a large and formal city church. The pastor was preaching a beautiful salvation sermon and the visitor shouted, “Amen!” The congregation became disturbed. The ushers moved in on the visitor. One sat on either side of him. The preacher continued and again the guest shouted, “Hallelujah!” And he raised his hands. The chief usher whispered, “Sir, you’ll have to behave yourself or leave.” The man answered, “I can’t help it, sir. I’ve got religion.” The usher quickly answered back, “Well, you didn’t get it here, so keep quiet.”

Traditionally some churches have been cold and formal. If you show emotion you’re breaking the rules. Influential church reformer John Calvin himself had a strong disdain for emotionalism. (John Calvin also had kidney stones. If you’ve ever had one, you’ll know it’s hard to get excited about anything but death.) Yet Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart.” And we would be unfaithful not to give God an expression of love from our heart. Whether it’s tears, joyous music, hand clapping, or at times a loud shout, “Praise the Lord!” Such pleases our Jesus.

The classical composer, Joseph Haydn, was once criticized for the gaiety of his church music. To his critics he replied, “I cannot help it. I give forth what is in me. When I think of the Divine Being, my heart is so full of joy that the notes fly off as from a spindle. And as I have a cheerful heart, He will pardon me if I serve Him cheerfully.”

Yes, emotion has its place in the love of God. But emotion alone is not enough. Next week Jesus shows us a second way to love God. He said, “Love God with all your mind.”

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The Reverend Stephen Crotts is the director of the Carolina Study Center, Inc., a campus ministry, located in Chapel Hill, NC. Pastor Crotts may be reached at carolinastudycenter@msn.com.