I was recently sent a “Broom-Hilda” comic strip. In this cartoon, one character says, “Irwin, What do you believe is the secret of life?” In the next two panels you see Irwin scratching his head giving this question some serious thought. Finally, he responds with, “Brushing after every meal?” The first character is in disbelief, to which Irwin asks, “Was I close?”
It is easy to laugh at this exchange as we all know (I hope) that the secret to life isn’t brushing after every meal (unless you are perhaps a dentist). But while we know what the secret is not, do we know what the secret is? Or is it even a secret?
Having survived 2020 with COBID-19, a crazy election season, and wild fires in large sections of the country, we may be feeling a little uncertain of what life is all about. But, while not wanting to sound trite, I would like to cast my vote for the substance of life being about love. Jesus told His disciples that He was giving them a new command when He said, “Love others as I have love you.”
If we can learn to love those around us in 2021 with that kind of sacrificial love, we are flirting with grasping the “secret of life.” Many seem to believe that the important components of life are built around money, power, and more stuff. But I would submit that what life is all about, that really can make a life-changing difference – is love.