hello, world.

Sitting and waiting in the arrivals lobby at LAX for my parents to arrive from n.ashville on Sunday evening, I couldn't help but observe the people around me. Under the pretense of trying to become absorbed in the book tucked under my arm, I quickly lost focus on the words and shifted my attention to the eclectic mix of races/walks/talks/stages of life bustling around me.

I witessned a young Hispanic man returning in his desert fatigues from Iraq. He was greeted with homemade 'Welcome back!' signs and balloons that were overshadowed by the facial expressions on his entire familial clan, each member in tears of joy and relief. The initial jubilation of horns and shouts, gave way to solemn embraces and tears as passersby awkwardly walked by and glanced at the unfolding scene with smiles peeking from their faces.

I get goosebumps and chills down my spine when I see genuine expressions of love. Standing there next to the AA domestic arrivals gate, I silently and almost guiltily took in those intimate embraces between spouses, hearty bear hugs between old friends, and running-into-daddy's-open-arms thrills from children. Almost like being in a movie. scene fades out, music quietly leads in.

HIS command to love one another made so much sense in that airport lobby. but what made me pause was the idea of loving the hard-to-love. the obnoxious woman, walking as if she owned the world, jabbering awaying on her phone. the smelly, unkempt man sitting to my right. the beady-eyed stranger glancing at his watch and at me.

and then Paul's exhortation to the hodgepodge gathering of believers in Romans 16:16 registered even more clearly. Greet one another with a holy kiss. He was telling this to a group of new believers which ranged from a prim & proper, wealthy elderly widow to a recently demon-possessed punk rocker teenage girl. Embrace. Kiss. Accept. In effect, Paul was saying: get beyond those cultural, generational, financial, doctrinal, social obstacles/differences and love each other.

Lord, thank you for exemplifying love. Help me live it out.