Love in the Community of Christ Life in community is not always easy. The community of Christ—the church—has been prone to disunity and division throughout its history. Even in its earliest days, the church stuggled with issues of unity (see 1 Cor 1:11-17; Gal 2:11-16). The answer to relational discord in the community of Christ is to exercise love toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. This command is grounded in the teaching of Jesus (Matt 22:37-40; John 13:34-35; see Lev 19:18), is expressed by Paul (Rom 13:8-10; 1 Cor 13:1-13), and is found elsewhere in the New Testament (1 Pet 1:22; 1 Jn 2:7-11; 3:10; 4:7). Loving others in the body of Christ is central to a Christian ethic (Rom 12:9-10; 1 Thes 4:9; 2 Pet 1:5-8). This kind of love refers not to an emotion but to a commitment to meet others’ needs which is acted upon in concrete expression. In other words, followers of Christ are to relate to one another in such a way that our communities of faith are characterized by acts of love. The author of Hebrews provides an example of how love can be expressed in tangible ways within Christian communities: by showing hospitality, caring for the needs of those who are persec...