When our nephew Jake was five years old he started playing soccer, and Paulette and I tried to see as many of his games as we could. One time we were late, and the game had already started. We could see a huddle of little boys all thrashing at a ball in the center; it looked like a weird huge insect with lots of legs. Jake saw us and came running full speed towards Paulette giving her a full-body tackle-hug that almost put her to the ground. His coach yelled, “Miller! Come back here! Stay in the game!” Paulette loved it.

I think the year before he had made Paulette even happier. His parents were explaining to him family relationships and had told him that Paulette was his aunt. Jake didn’t believe it and retorted, “Paulette’s not my aunt! Aunts are old, and Paulette’s not old!” It made Paulette’s day when she heard the story from his parents. She’s now a perpetual thirty-nine, but back then she was in her fifties.

I’ve heard parents say that the best thing about having small children was their simple, unconditional love. Paulette and I never had children, but Jake and his sister Sarah gave us a small taste. I’ve read that one of the difficulties faced by those trying to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies is that many of the pregnancies are not unplanned. The teenage girls want to have a baby, because they want to receive that unconditional love. We all do.

Jesus commanded us to love one another, even our enemies. He didn’t say unconditionally, but I think that is implicit in the commandment. It is difficult; as we become adults we lose the ease we had giving love when we were children. God loves YOU and me unconditionally, and one way we feel that love is by receiving love from others. Maybe we should rephrase the commandment as “Help me spread my unconditional love by loving one another.”

Jim