“If we think we can love God without loving our neighbors, we are missing all of the Gospel. Not just half of it.”

Jeremy Hudson, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in Springfield, penned an op-ed in USA Today. Read excerpts below, and the full article here.

I’ve been both a foreigner and a community leader. I’ve lived in Springfield for nearly 25 years, but I spent 14 of my first 18 years in Latin America as the child of missionaries. I know what it’s like to live as an immigrant, adapting to new customs and cultures. I’ve also served as a pastor in Springfield for nearly two decades, and since 2021, I’ve had the privilege to lead one of its larger churches.

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For those whose faith is shaped by the Bible, the story of God’s people is one of migration − from the Old Testament to the spread of Christianity through the early church. And those outside the faith would agree that America’s history is rooted in immigration.

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For people of faith, Jesus provides clear guidance on how we should treat others. In Matthew 22, Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves, putting on the same level our love for others as our love for God. If we think we can love God without loving our neighbors, we are missing all of the Gospel. Not just half of it.

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To my fellow Christians, I issue this challenge: Let’s follow Jesus’ example. Respond with care and compassion, as he did for the multitudes, and let no opinion leave our lips that lacks the concern he showed, even for those who disagreed with him.

Whatever our faith, let’s remember that slander comes in many forms. Echoing someone else’s talking points without understanding can spread falsehood. And it’s no less damaging just because someone else said it.

If it wouldn’t come from the mouth of Jesus, it shouldn’t come from ours, either.