Walk by Faith: Loving Boldly – “All My Kids Are Home” – Mother’s Day (Part IV)

Sermon Title: Walk By Faith – Loving Boldly: “All My Kids Are Home”

Good News Statement: Jesus invites his church to change lives

Summary: The Church has been called by Christ to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.

Preached: Sunday, May 10^th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSVUE): John 13:34-35 Today’s scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John. When Jesus is with his disciples, he tells them to love one another as he has loved them. This love is a love that is bold and requires us to show up and be present for and with those in need. Our scripture reading comes from the Gospel of John, Chapter Thirteen, Verses Thirty-four thru Thirty-five. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.

Leviticus 19:17-18

17 “You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

John 13:34-35

34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Mark 12:28-34

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

 

Introduction:

On May 1, 2025, The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church announced the unveiling of a new vision statement for the United Methodist Church. According to the article published on the United Methodist Bishops website, “This vision reflects the Church’s deep commitment to embodying God’s dream for the world.”[1] This vision statement complements the Church’s longstanding mission statement, inspired by Matthew 28:1-20: “The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” “This new vision is not simply a statement or a plan, it is a catalyst for transformation,” said Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, President of the Council of Bishops. “It is a vision that will help the Church embrace the opportunities before us, to follow where God is leading us, and to more fully engage in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”[2]

The new vision statement is as follows: The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections. The vision encourages United Methodists to embody the following principles: We are called to love boldly[3] which invites us to passionately love God and, like Jesus, embrace and include people of every age, nation, race, gender and walk of life; to serve joyfully[4] by serving with a Christ-like heart, journeying alongside the most vulnerable, and offering care and compassion with joy; and to lead courageously[5] by resisting and dismantling all systems of evil, injustice, and oppression, striving for peace, justice and reconciliation. Simply put, the vision of the United Methodist Church is to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.

Did you know that the United Methodist denomination has a vision statement? Many of us are probably aware of the denomination’s mission statement—“to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”—but did you know that we now have a vision statement that outlines goals, desired impacts, and lays forth the inspiration to better and more fully live out, by faith, the message—the Good News—of Jesus Christ? If you weren’t aware, you are not alone. Thousands of people weren’t aware; but as of today, millions are beginning to live these words out in their churches, in their communities, and in their lives. So, today, we are challenged to do the same! We are called to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. What does this look like in your life?

 

Body:

Today is Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day to each of the moms and mom-like figures out there and in your life. The first Mother’s Day was organized on May 10, 1908 in West Virginia and Pennsylvania by a woman named Anna Jarvis whose mother took “care of soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and worked to bridge divides between mothers from the North and South.”^[6] Several years later on May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day to be a national holiday to honor mothers whose sons had died in war. Today, carnations are the official flower of Mother’s Day, which is why Mother’s Day is the third-highest selling holiday for florists—beat only be Valentine’s Day and Christmas.

Here are some additional facts about Mother’s Day. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), “Total expenditures for Mother’s Day are expected to reach $38 billion this year, with consumers spending a record average of $284.25 per person.”[7] The NRF also noted, “75% of shoppers plan to purchase flowers, 74% of shoppers plan to purchase cards, 63% of shoppers plan to gift a special outing, 55% plan to buy gift cards, and 51% of shoppers reported that they are planning on buying clothing items.”[8] Another source noted that “Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for phone calls, with approximately 122 million calls made.”[9] Drawing back to the National Retail Federation, Mark Mathews, chief economist and executive director of research, stated, “Consumers are gifting from the heart, seeking unique gifts that create lasting memories for the mothers in their lives.” What are you doing to celebrate Mother’s Day?

This year, as I was reflecting on Mother’s Day, I found myself drawn back in time to Christmas 2025. Upon arriving to my parent’s house, Emily and I quickly unloaded the car, placed the gifts under the Christmas Tree, put our suitcases in the bedroom, and were bombarded by cherished hugs from my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. Three dogs created us at the door. A bunny was hopping in the laundry room. Charlie, the bird, was cooing. And Emily and I’s cats were seeking to find a hiding place. The smell of Christmas was in the air and the kitchen was bursting at the seams with goodies, snacks, and a delicious Christmas meal all while one of my nephews played music on his bari saxophone. (I think we heard the theme song to Pink Panther a few dozen times!) The kitchen table was set: the table was extended to sit eight people and another table was added for the remaining six people. It was certainly a packed table and dining room; so much so, that dinner rolls were tossed from one end of the room to the other and the person sitting closest to the kitchen was the one who was repeatedly asked to get this item or that item because we couldn’t move around everyone. Before my dad blessed the food, my mom said her famous line: “All my kids are home.”

I was thinking about the words of my mom and thought that what she said is perfect not just for a Mother’s Day message but also perfect words to help us think about how we are called to “love boldly” as a follower and believer of Christ and as a church. But first, I think it is important to explore the word “love.”

 

Movement One: What is Love?

Love. It’s a word that has captured the curiosity of people for thousands of years. It’s a word that people use today to express an attitude of feeling or reaction to a person, pet, or object in their life. It’s a word that embraces, in a way, what nothing else can adequately describe. It’s a word that transforms us into someone we never thought we could be. It’s a word that has become a sacred vow, an everlasting promise, a commitment of hope, and a source of inspiration. Love.

I love how Dennis Nealon begins his article on “The Science of Love” published on the webpage for Harvard Medical School. He stated, “Love has been the source of ceaseless fascination since antiquity. Artists have tried to capture its beauty and darkness in books, paintings, and songs. Behavioral scientists have explored love as a social ritual, psychologists have studied its pathological manifestations, and evolutionary biologists have sought to define it as a…link… to the very survival of our species.”[10] Nealon goes on to share, “…love appear[s] to be essential to our overall well-being and, indeed, survival…”[11]

In an article published in Psychology Today, Lybi Ma shares that love is considered to be one of our “most basic and fundamental needs.”[12] Although artists struggle to capture its core and scientists, psychologists, biologists, and hundreds of others have struggled since the genesis of time to describe and define love, what many have concluded is that love is essential to humanity’s overall well-being and survival: it’s a basic and fundamental need. Therefore, as The Beatles famously sang, “Love is all you need.” To some regard this is true: love gets us through life’s toughest moments, shines light in our life, and reminds us that we matter to someone. On some days, love is all that we need to feel better, to feel needed, to feel healed, and to feel as if life can be okay. You may not think you need to feel loved or be loved to live your life but you do.

I will be honest with you today’s message is by no means going to fully define what love is or even what love does in our life. I’m still learning, like many of you here, what love is. However, I hope that by the end of today’s message, you witness a love that simply demonstrates how showing up and being present is one of the best ways to “love boldly.” Let’s remind ourselves what Scripture teaches us about love.

 

Movement Two: Love Proclaimed in Scripture…

Let’s begin by hearing from one of the most famous chapters in the Bible regarding love. Following the opening verses to chapter 13 of First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul administers a definition of love. Paul wrote, “If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). These are the words that proceed Paul’s definition of love. Right from the start, Paul is telling the people that if they do not have love, they are nothing and they can’t do what needs to be done. Speaking in tongues or eloquent speech without love is just noise (sounding brass/clanging cymbal). Prophecy, understanding, knowledge, and faith that moves mountains are worthless if the heart is loveless—”I am nothing”. Giving everything to the poor or martyrdom yields “no gain” if not driven by love. These verses are commonly cited to remind believers that service, ministry, and generosity should be motivated by love, not obligation, pride, or seeking attention. Before defining love, Paul boldly says, “You need love.”

After these words, Paul defines love, “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Almost at every wedding, we hear these words and are reminded what love is and what love is not. I’m not going to go into great depth about Paul’s words, but I do want to point out that as Paul was writing his letter to the Corinthians in 53-56 AD, in the midst of trying to get to Rome to plead his case and no longer be on trial, he was reflecting on the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Paul’s love is not something he created all on his own. Rather, how he defines love is found within scripture.

Biblically, the word love appears throughout the scriptures in several commandments, letters, scenarios, and teachings. Depending on the translation you read from, the word love appears in scripture 731 times.[13] Love appears at least once in sixty of the sixty-six books of the Protestant Bible: it does not appear in 2 Kings, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Haggai, or in the book of Acts. In the Old Testament, we are called to “love our masters,” to “love our neighbors,” and to “love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength” in addition to remembering that the “Lord’s love is steadfast and endures forever.”

In the New Testament, we are called to “love our enemies,” to “love ourselves,” and again to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, body, and soul” and to “love our neighbors.” John 3:16 highlights the foundational Christian message that God loved the world enough to send His Son; 1 John 4:8 defines God’s character by His love, stating that whoever does not love does not know God; 1 Corinthians 13:13 identifies faith, hope, and love as abiding virtues, with love being the greatest; John 15:13 describes the highest form of love as laying down one’s life for friends; 1 Peter 4:8 notes that love covers a multitude of sins; Colossians 3:14 tells us that love binds everything together in harmony; and in Romans 5:8 we read that God’s love is demonstrated through Christ dying for sinners.

Paul’s definition of love embodies what scripture has already used to describe love. Paul is simply trying to get the message across again because the people have lost sight of what it means to love and to “love boldly”: to be patient, to be kind, to demonstrate understanding, to keep no record of wrongdoings, to rejoice in the truth, to serve and not be served, and to bear, believe, hope, and endure all things for the sake for sharing the message of Christ with others. Paul isn’t telling us that love is simple and easy. No, he’s telling us that love takes work and effort.

Furthermore, when using the word love, the New Testament, which was originally translated into Greek, tends to favor four different words to define love. First, is stroge. Storge is defined as “familial affection.”[14] Second is phileo. Phileo is defined as “friendship”, hence Philadelphia, the city of brotherly or friendship love.[15] Third is eros. Eros is defined as “passion.”[16] Lastly is agape which is the very love that Paul writes about. Agape is defined as “charity or unconditional.” Agape love is probably the most talked about of the four kinds of love. It is the highest, most complete form of affection. Jesus gave us many lessons about and examples of agape—a strong, selfless, and sacrificial love—during his earthly ministry.

Jesus reminded his disciples over and over again that they are called to show this agape love to God and to other people, whether they are friends or enemies. Jesus tells us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:27-39). Prior to these words of love, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:43-46, “’You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.’” Jesus even demonstrated this love when he told those in the temple, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus can do these things because of the love he has for those in his life.

The love that Jesus gives us will make the world a better place.[17] This love is a basic and fundamental need for our survival. And what makes this love even more profound is that it is not just a characteristic of being a disciple. Love is universal because, like Jesus did, it speaks to everyone. Paul wants the people of Corinth to live into this idea of agape love, which is what we are called to do, even with those who don’t necessarily believe in what we believe, even with those who we disagree with, even with those who frustrate us and challenge us, and even with those who are no like us. To “love boldly,” is an act that simple calls us to be present in the world.

 

Movement Three: “Just Love…”

When it comes to the world, I think it’s fascinating to see how other cultures understand love. For example, in Islam, the love for Allah (God) is considered the highest form of love, emphasizing devotion, reverence, obedience, fairness, justice, and mercy.[18] Buddhism emphasizes the concept of love in the form of compassion and loving-kindness. Love is regarded as an attitude of genuine care, warmth, and goodwill toward all beings, and a means to alleviate suffering, develop inner peace, and foster harmonious relationships.[19] In Hinduism love is often expressed through devotion toward the divine. It invokes a deep sense of reverence, surrender, and worship. Love is seen as a unifying force that connects individuals with the divine and with all of creation.[20] And Judaism emphasizes the commandment to love God and one’s neighbor. Love is considered a foundational value in building relationships and communities and involves acts of kindness, justice, and care for others.[21]

In all of these traditions, and so many more, love is an act: a source of compassion, kindness, and justice, doing what is right, serving, witnessing, and understanding the importance of what millions have said in front of family and friends, “to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” Love is not just about what we feel. Love is about what we do. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

I believe this is what Jesus is calling us to do when he speaks to his disciples in the Gospel of John. Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). To be truthful, Jesus’ new commandment is not all that new. Leviticus 19:18 states, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus is repeating something from the Old Testament. However, what is new is the commandment to love one another as Jesus not only loves you but loves them. Simply put, Jesus is calling his people to love as he loves. I wonder, if after sharing these words, Jesus responded to every question asked about love with this phrase: “Just love. Go out into the world loving others as I love you.”

Church, I believe that is what it means to “love boldly.” Loving boldly is about going out into the world, about loving others as Jesus loved them, about putting love into action to make this world a better place. It’s about realizing that love doesn’t conquer every disagreement but extends understanding. It’s about realizing that hate, unfortunately, exists but at the same time so does love. It’s about realizing that people of different beliefs, political backgrounds, and work ethic can worship the same God and sit in the same pew on Sunday mornings. It’s about realizing that people on opposite sides of whatever spectrum can choose to follow Jesus Christ. It’s about realizing that we are called to serve and not be served. It’s about realizing that God has a plan for us and purpose for us as a church and disciple. It’s about realizing that people who love red tractors or green tractors, who are Cardinals fans or Cubs fans, or who are good at picking a winning March Madness Bracket or those who need some help with that task, can live in the same place, talk to each other, and call each other friends. To “love boldly” is about putting love into action and doing what Jesus would do. Just love.

I love to share this passage from the Book of Sirach during weddings: “A loving partner is a safe shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A loving partner is something beyond price, there is no measuring their worth. A loving partner is a life-saving remedy, and those who respect their Lord find true love. For as a person is, so is their loved one” (Sirach 26:1-4). When we love like Jesus loves, we become what someone needs in their life. Loving boldly is about realizing that love is meant for everyone.

Church, how are we “loving boldly” these days? What are we doing to share the love of Christ with others? What are we doing within our congregation to make sure that the love of Christ is alive? Throughout our history, we have supported organizations through financial giving, have taking up special offerings for those in need, have hosted different events for the children and the community, have supported the community, have comforted those who are grieving, and we have gathered to share meals, to decorate the church for holidays, have signed and sent cards, and have lifted each other up in prayer. We are loving boldly, but is there more we can be doing? Is there a need out there that needs to be met?

 

Movement Four: Loving Boldly is another way to Show Up…

This draws me back to my opening story about my mom’s famous and cherished words, “All my kids are home.” She said those words while making eye contact with each of us and smiling. As I stand before you today, I realize that what my mom feels every time her kids are home is indescribable, unconditional, and filled with so much love. I hope one day Emily and I will be able to say those words when we gather around a table with our kids. In my mother’s words was a deep devotion of “loving boldly.” And to make that happen, all my siblings and I had to do was show up and be present.

For those few hours around the table, as a family we experienced the love and care of a mom that cant’ be described but felt. For those few hours around the table, we embraced the love of a mom that brought us together. For those few hours around the table, we embodied the love of a mom who saw how important it was for her family to sit down. For those few hours around the table, we were given the reminder that we are never alone because our mom is with us wherever we go. And for those few hours around the table, we realized how special and meaningful it is to hear those words only said during certain times of the year from my mom, “All my kids are home.”

To love boldly, could be as simple as showing up for someone. To love boldly, could be as simple as having a meal with someone. To love boldly, could be as simple as checking in with someone: send a text message, make a phone call, send an email, send a Facebook message, send a snap via SnapChat, send a card. To love boldly, could be as simple as reminding someone that you care about them, that you are here for them, that you are okay serving them. To love boldly, could be as simple as making time for one another. To love boldly, is allowing someone to say, “All my kids are home.” Loving boldly doesn’t have to be over the top, complex, gigantic, world-changing, grand, magnificent… loving boldly is an act of love that allows us to show up for those in need, to have a chair so that they can sit at our table.

That’s what Jesus did: “Just I have loved you…” When Jesus says these words, he is not just thinking about the disciples and those who can hear him, but he is thinking about everyone who he healed and will heal, saved and will save, ate with and will eat with, and listened to and will listen to. The blind beggar was healed because Jesus loved boldly. The paralytic man walked again because Jesus loved boldly. The demon possessed man was released from sin because Jesus loved boldly. The daughter of Jairus, the son of a widow, and Lazarus were brought back to life because Jesus loved boldly. Moses believed in the burning bush and split the Red Sea because Jesus loved boldly. Ruth, a prostitute, risked her life and was protected because Jesus loved boldly. Peter became the rock after many failures because Jesus loved boldly. Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, was converted to save Christians because Jesus loved boldly. Your sins have been forgiven, your chains are no more, your trials have turned into triumphs because Jesus loved boldly. You are here today, no matter how your past has been, no matter the setbacks, no matter the scares and fears, no matter the pain and struggle, no matter the doubt and uncertainty, because Jesus loved and loves you boldly. Jesus loves you boldly and all he had to do to prove that was to show up in your life. I wonder how many times Jesus has looked down upon us as we look up to him and has said, “All my kids are home”?

Church, loving boldly doesn’t have to be hard. Sometimes, it simply requires us to show up for those who need to feel loved. So I ask, who do we need to show up for? Who within and around our congregation can we serve? Who in our life would benefit from coming to church and getting to experience a group of people who laugh, who love, and who live a life in Jesus Christ? Who needs to sit at our table? Church, I know we are loving boldly now: we may be small but we have a big heart; and so I put forth a challenge to us as a church to really think how we can show up more and love more boldly for those in our pews and those outside our walls? Because that’s what Jesus did. And if Jesus was willing to do that, I think we can find within ourselves the will to do the same thing. But how?

For the next few weeks, if you are willing and able, I encourage you to think about this question: “How can we love boldly?” If you want, you can even think about this question: “Who are we as a church today and what kind of church do we want to be in the future?” When you have an answer, I invite you to write it down on the strips of paper. When written on, just place them in the basket, and in three weeks I will share with you all your answers.

 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Mother’s Day is more than the expected $38 billion spent, it is more than any carnation purchased and given, and it is more than minutes or hours spent on the phone. Mother’s Day is a day by which can’t be described because there are no words that can describe the person who brings her family together, who shares her love, and who feeds her family so that they have what is needed to conquer the day. Mother’s Day is the day to be in fellowship with those whom you love. Mother’s Day is the day to remember all those times when your mom made you feel as if you weren’t alone. Mother’s Day is the day to embrace the love that has been given to you by the mother who will always love you no matter what, who always invites you to the table, and who is always filled with joy when she says, “All my kids are home.” Mother’s Day is the day to simply acknowledge that the mothers and mother-like figures in your life, as Proverbs notes, do “surpass them all” (Proverbs 31:29).

And they surpass them because of the love they boldly give to make us feel loved. Whether your mom is still walking by your side or is walking with you in your heart, remember the love she has for you and how her love, although tough at times, changed your life. On this Mother’s Day, make a promise to love boldly the way your mom did and does for you today. And remember, that sometimes just gathering around a table for a few hours is the best way to let someone know that they are loved. “All my kids are home.”

Let It Be So…

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us Pray… Dear Jesus, thank you for our moms and mother-like-figures in our life. Thank you for their compassion, their kindness, and their never failing love. May we, through you and the love of our mother’s, love boldly as we show up for those in need just like you showed up for us. Amen.

 

Benediction:

Before the day ends, I invite you to do two things: 1) Make sure, in person, in prayer, or in remembrance, to say thank you to your mom and/or those who you see or saw as a mom in your eyes and make sure to say “I love you”; and 2) Take a few minutes to gather around a table, in a restaurant, in the living room, on the porch, outside, and cherish the moment. May your willingness to show up and be present be an act of loving boldly that changes someone’s life. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth loving boldly in all that you do. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

 

[1] Ministries, The United Methodist Church Unveils New Guiding Vision Statement, Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, May 1, 2025: https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/umc-unveils-new-vision-statement-19057587  Accessed April 12, 2026.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Inspired by Matthew 22:37-39 and John 13:34-35.

[4] Inspired by Psalm 100:1, Nehemiah 8:10, John 13:14-15 and 1 Peter 4:10

[5] Inspired by Joshua 1:9 and Ephesians 6:10

[6] Rebecca Schnied, “6 Surprising Facts About Mother’s Day, Time Magazine, published online on May 2, 2025. Accessed May 6, 2025. “Though Jarvis worked to make Mother’s Day an official holiday, historians have argued that she later railed against the commercialization and popularization of the holiday, which she said strayed from her initial intent. “They’re commercializing my Mother’s Day,” she complained in a letter to newspapers, according to the Washington Post. In a separate news release, she said: “WHAT WILL YOU DO to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?”

[7] National Retail Federation, “Mother’s Day Spending Expected to Hit Record $38 Billion,” Published April 21, 2026: https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/mother-s-day-spending-expected-to-hit-record-38-billion   Accessed May 4, 2026.

[8] Ibid., Accessed May 4, 2026.

[9] Bhaskar Subrahmanyam, Oye Happy, “Mother’s Day 2026: History, Fun Facts & Why We Celebrate Maa Every Second Sunday of May,” Published April 26, 2026: https://www.oyehappy.com/blogs/blog/everything-about-mothers-day-history-description-and-facts#:~:text=Fun%20&%20Fascinating%20Facts%20About%20Mother’s%20Day,the%20year%2C%20after%20Valentine’s%20Day%20and%20Christmas.  Accessed May 4, 2026.

[10] Dennis Nealon, “The Science of Love,” Harvard Medical School, published February 10, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/science-love

[11] Dennis Nealon, “The Science of Love,” Harvard Medical School, published February 10, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/science-love Nealon quotes research conducted by Richard S. Schwartz and Jacqueline Olds.

[12] Lybi Ma, “The Need To Love”, Psychology Today. Published January 8, 2014. Assessed on January 28, 2026. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sapient-nature/201401/the-need-love

[13] It appears in the Old Testament 413 times, in the New Testament 228 times, and in the Apocrypha 90 times

[14] This type of love and affection exists between family members, friends, or companions. One of the Ten Commandments shows what storge love can look like: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

[15] Phileo most often describes a relationship between people focused on a common bond of shared beliefs, values, or interests. An image that comes to mind as an example of this is good friends who look out for each other, who are there for each other, who support one another instead of tearing each other down, and who as the Apostle Paul notes, “[are] kind to one another, tenderhearted [toward one another], and forgive one another” (Ephesians 4:32). Romans 12:10 and Hebrews 13:1 demonstrate this kind of love. Romans asserts, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” And Hebrews notes, “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.”

[16] This kind of passionate love is meant to describe a healthy, sensual love between those that are married. God gave us this kind of desire with the clear instruction to express it only within the bonds of marriage. Song of Solomon states, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…” (Song of Solomon 6:3).^[16]

[17] In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis explores the nature of love. He starts with the Biblical truth that God is love, and sets out to see how our lives can reflect the different aspects of that. In his book, Lewis wrote: “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our natural lives.” As we become more giving in our spirits over time, more of the selfless agape love will naturally pour out of us. And that will lead to blessings for others, and for us. It is a wonderful cycle that can change the world for the better. He also talks of a maturing process we will ideally go through. First, we make the choice to show love, especially storge and phileo, to others. As we do, our hearts will align more closely with God’s.

[18] Love for fellow human beings is encouraged, encompassing kindness, compassion, and empathy. Islamic teachings highlight the importance of love for the sake of Allah and the responsibility to treat others with fairness, justice, and mercy.

[19] Buddhist teachings stress the cultivation of love and compassion as means to alleviate suffering, develop inner peace, and foster harmonious relationships.

[20] Hindu scriptures also emphasize the importance of love and respect within family relationships and society.

[21] Love in Judaism is connected to the concept of covenant, emphasizing a reciprocal relationship between ‘God and humanity.’