In Judith Viorst’s children’s book “I’ll Fix Anthony,” the younger brother is having a hard time with Anthony. Anthony won’t play with him, and tells his younger brother that he stinks. His mother assures him that “deep in his heart,” Anthony loves him. Meanwhile, Anthony tells him that “Deep in his heart he thinks I stink.”  Complaints about Anthony continue, until the younger brother, wishing he was older, concludes, “When I’m six, I’ll fix Anthony.”

I suspect we all have or had at least one Anthony in our lives . . . That person who it is difficult to love, tests our patience and causes us grief. One, who if we could, we would fix.

Into our frustration, anger and resentment, comes *John the Elder informing us, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God.” I John 4:20

It becomes clear a division has split this early group of Christ followers. Relationships have broken. People are taking sides, which is creating even more pain. John the Elder looks at people he has nurtured, loved and cared for. It breaks his heart to see friends caught up in a web of bitterness towards each other. Having concluded they have lost their way, he is on a mission to change their attitudes and their hearts. Pointing out, in their ongoing sniping at each other, they have forgotten the words of Jesus.

John the Elder is aware that among them, are those who are infants in the life of faith. Here are people still learning how to live out their faith in practical and visible ways, while they matured, grew in grace and in love for one another.

Christian Unity has suffered greatly in recent years. Sides have been chosen based on politics, instead of the words of Jesus. We see this in individual churches as well as the larger Christian community.  

John reminds these early Christians and all of us, who they are and whose they are. We are followers of the one who said his disciples, would be known by their love for each other.

“We love,” John the Elder tells us, “Because God Loved up first . . . The commandment we have from Christ is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”
I John 4:20-21


*Most Scholars attribute the Biblical Books of I, II and III John, to John the Elder. He was part of the Johannine community that grew around the apostle John.