Learning to Love in the Way of Jesus
One of the lovely strengths of "Revitalizing Christianity" is that Dr Peter Lewis speaks about faith in a way that is clear, humane and deeply centred on Jesus. In Chapter 13, My Faith, he describes a simple Christian faith that does not rest on fear, harshness or religious performance. It rests on Jesus, and on love.
That matters for a lot of people. Some readers have been bruised by church. Some have been told that faith means shutting down their questions. Some are quietly curious but unsure whether there is still room for them. Dr Peter Lewis offers something gentler than that. He brings us back to the person of Jesus and to the kind of life Jesus opens up for us.
“My faith is focused on the historical Jesus, what he said and did, and I believe he was motivated by love.”
— Dr Peter Lewis, "Revitalizing Christianity", Chapter 13: My Faith
That is a simple sentence, but it carries a great deal of hope. It tells us that at the centre of Christian faith is not a cold system, and not a demanding religious culture, but Jesus himself. And the heartbeat of Jesus, as Dr Peter Lewis sees it, is love.
He names that love with the Greek word agape, which he explains as a self-giving concern for others. In plain words, it is love that moves toward people. Love that does not keep score. Love that does not ask first, “What do I get out of this?” It is active, generous and open-hearted.
For ordinary people, that can be a real relief. Faith can become tangled up in arguments, labels and old wounds. But here the invitation is far more personal and more freeing: look at Jesus, see the love in his life, and let that shape your own life.
Dr Peter Lewis says that Jesus was the active agent in bringing human beings and God together. That is a theological way of saying something wonderfully practical: in Jesus, we meet the One who opens the way back to God, not by force, but by love. God is not presented here as distant, cruel or eager to condemn. God is the Creator, the source of life, and therefore good. For people who have only ever heard frightening things about God, that is no small word of grace.
This also means that following Jesus is not mainly about mastering religious language. It is about learning a new way to live. Dr Peter Lewis puts it plainly: if Jesus loved in a self-giving way, then we too are called to care for the world and everybody in it in an unselfish way. That lands close to home.
It touches the way we speak to one another.
It touches the grudges we carry.
It touches our pride, our greed, our resentment, and the habits that shrink our hearts.
It touches the choice to become softer, kinder and more honest.
That does not mean becoming weak or passive. In this chapter, Jesus is not passive at all. Dr Peter Lewis presents him as courageous and purposeful, giving himself for others and showing the world what love looks like when it costs something. The picture is not of a faith that drifts along, but of a faith that is alive and brave enough to love.
There is also a deep comfort here. If your faith feels small, or if your life feels a bit threadbare at the moment, Dr Peter Lewis does not suggest that you must become impressive. He says his theology is simple, and that simplicity is part of its beauty. Christian faith can begin right there: with Jesus, with love, with a heart that wants to turn toward what is good.
“In other words, I must try to love like Jesus.”
— Dr Peter Lewis, "Revitalizing Christianity", Chapter 13: My Faith
That line is both gentle and searching. It does not ask us to have every answer. It does ask us to let the life of Jesus become the pattern of our own life. Not perfectly. Not all at once. But truly.
For some of us, that may mean taking one small step this week. We may need to let go of a bitter thought. We may need to speak with more patience. We may need to remember that the love of Jesus is not reserved for a select few, but reaches toward the whole human family. Readers who have felt excluded, especially LGBTIQ+ folk, sceptics, and those who no longer know what they believe, should hear this clearly: this reflection begins with love because Dr Peter Lewis begins with Jesus, and he sees Jesus moved by self-giving concern for others.
That kind of faith does not slam the door. It opens one.
"Revitalizing Christianity", edited by Shane St Reynolds, gathers short articles by Dr Peter Lewis that keep returning to this kind of compassionate, inclusive and socially engaged Christianity. In this chapter, the invitation is beautifully direct: if Jesus gave himself in love, then our lives can slowly be reshaped by that same love.
So if your heart is tired, begin there. If your trust has been damaged, begin there. If you are unsure what faith could even mean now, begin there. Look at Jesus. Stay with what is life-giving and good. Let love be bigger than fear.
May the living God, the source of life and goodness, meet you gently today. And may the spirit of Jesus keep growing in you a quieter ego, a kinder heart, and a deeper love for the world God holds.
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May grace and peace be with you this Sunday.