Love Is Stirring in the World

"I love you." That's what Jesus says. So that's what I say. I see a homeless guy, and I love him. I'm going to help him if I can. That's being Jesus.

The movement to love our neighbor as ourselves is stirring in this world. It is awesome to see. This is the movement that I'm asking you to join.

Where is it stirring? Everywhere! I'll be the first to admit that sometimes Americans can forget that there are other countries out there. I mean, sometimes you can go to church and actually start to think that Bethlehem was in the USA and Jesus was white! He was probably clean-shaven, too. And He drove a Mustang. We might really think that sometimes!

But go around the world, and you'll see a church that is passionately and deeply understanding of how to love its neighbor. You'll see a church that is pushing congregations to really grasp the mentality of loving your neighbor as yourself. It's so refreshing to me, because it shows me that we are starting to unify. We are starting to gain momentum in this movement.

I believe in the scripture. When the church becomes one, our God and King will come back. I truly believe His return is part of the unification process. Unity is stirring in this world, and I want to be a part of it. I want Jesus to come back! And our unity will flow from love. It will flow from loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Loving our neighbors seems so simple, and you might think, "Of course! That's how I was raised!" But most of us still don't do it very well. I don't do it very well. There's so much more I could do to love my neighbor as myself. But after all God has shown me, I am certain of one thing. I no longer pitch for myself.

I pitch to love my neighbor as myself. I pitch for people I don't even know, but I love them. I really love them. I pitch for people who cannot eat. I pitch for people who cannot drink. I pitch for people who do not have houses to live in, and for people who are naked. I pitch for the men, women, and children being trafficked for sex, and war, and work. These are my neighbors, and I pitch to help give them something to eat and something to drink. I pitch to help house and clothe them. I pitch to free them. I pitch for all of them.

I get to help them! That's why I am raising my three boys to be selfless. "You want to do something?" I tell them. "Then do it for somebody else. Do not do it for yourself. You'll find joy that way!"

That's the movement I'm stirring.

I pitch to glorify my God and King, and to represent Him well. But representing Him well extends far beyond the mound. I also put on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt after a game, and I walk out into the real world. I honor everybody. I don't live in my own little bubble. That's the reputation athletes have, but I want to break that mold. That's not who I am.

If you see me on the mound pitching, pray for me. Pray for me, now that you know who I worship when I pitch. Pray for me, now that you know that to love like Jesus, I pitch for the least of these. When you go to your job or your classroom, don't do it for yourself. Do it for somebody else. Think about your neighbor, because that's how you will find your joy. When you love your neighbor as yourself, in your job and at your school, you will find your joy.

###
Jeremy Affeldt is a pitcher with the Major League Baseball World Champion San Francisco Giants.

He is the co-founder of Generation Alive, a non profit that works to move a new generation of young people to act, to get involved, to become leaders and to serve others in need. He is a philanthropist and an active leader to end human trafficking and modern day slavery. He is an advocate to feed the hungry and help those in poverty. Jeremy is the author of the book, To Stir A Movement, Life, Justice and Major League Baseball.

Follow Jeremy on twitter @JeremyAffeldt and his non profit @GenerationAlive.