Theme: In What Ways Do Jehovah's Witnesses Fulfill John 13:34, 35?
Lilyán: When we first met, we discussed 6 features that identify the worship that God approves of. & you had a question about the 3rd point, "those who worship the true God show genuine love for one another."
Clover: Yes. You showed me a scripture where Jesus said his disciples would be known by their love, but I don't see how that's possible. Every organized religion out there claims to represent God & show Christ’s love but they cause problems & do terrible things in the name of love. How do you know your organization shows the kind of love Jesus had in mind?
Lilyán: That's a really good question. I did some studying & found that there are 3 basic ways JW's fulfill Jesus' words at John 13. Let's look again at what he said. Would you please read verses 34 & 35? You may use my Bible; I marked it with a ribbon.
Clover: (reads John 13:34, 35)
Lilyán: When Jesus tells us to love one another, he explains we should do it "just as he loved us." How did he show love to others while he was on earth?
Clover: Well, I know he helped people. He cured them & fed them.
Lilyán: Yes, that's true, he cared for their physical well-being, and he also cared for their spiritual welfare since his primary focus was to preach the good news of God's Kingdom. Jesus demonstrated that love by extending his ministry beyond the small community he grew up in; traveling to many villages & cities, preaching even when tired & hungry, & both to Jews & non-Jews too. JW's imitate Jesus' example by reaching as many as possible to teach them Bible truths.
Clover: I guess your preaching work is one of the things you're known for--not that I can see there's much for you to do here in this area.
Lilyán: You'd be surprised. We only have 10 congregations to reach everyone in Humboldt County. Many of my friends spend 50 or more hours a month teaching about the Bible & others who've learned Spanish, Hmong, Chinese & ASL to reach even more people. We do these things, not simply for the sake of imitating Jesus, but because we have the same kind of love he had & we want everyone to hear God's message.
Clover: Okay, I can see that your ministry is one way you show love. What’s the next way?
Lilyán: We can't perform miracles today, like you mentioned Jesus healed and fed people, but the 2nd way we demonstrate our love is helping in times of need. Sometimes it's little things, like helping with a chore or an errand. Or it could involve opening up our house to somebody who needs a place to stay, or caring for someone who's ill.
Clover: Some of those things could take up a lot of your time. You must really love the people in your congregation to be willing to do all that.
Lilyán: I do love my cong very much & I feel close to everyone in it. Just as Jesus extended his ministry far beyond his own community, our love & willingness to help extends beyond our cong, beyond McKinleyville. For example, when hurricane Katrina hit, we offered our time and resources to assist our fellow Ws & their neighbors too.
Clover: Are you saying that the love you feel for your congregation is the same for JWs you've never met?
Lilyán: Yes, it's what Jesus meant when he said, "have love among yourselves." Which brings us to my 3rd point--we fulfill Jesus' words through our unity in worship.
Clover: You mean everyone believes & teaches the same things from the Bible?
Lilyán: Yes, but it’s more than that. Even though we're worldwide & we're organized, what we are is a family. That's why we call each other brothers & sisters. In fact, you'll be able to see this first hand when we build our new KH & JWs we've never met will come to help us build it.
Clover: Really? I’d like to see that. Still, I don’t see how this kind of love is possible on a global scale.
Lilyán: I thought you might say that, so I brought this dvd, which includes a film called “Our Whole Association of Brothers.” It gives international examples of these 3 ways of expressing the love Jesus commanded--by our ministry, by helping in times of need & by our united worship. Would you like to see it?
Clover: Yes. I’ll put it in right now!
