How well do you remember Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? For instance, which was the good side and which the bad side of the divided character in Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale? A word to the wise: if you read the original, Mr. Hyde is darker than you may remember. As a child, I remember seeing it in film form and finding it deeply disturbing. (I’m not sure my parents knew that I saw it, actually.) The good Dr. Jekyll discovered that once he unleashed evil, he could not control it.
In Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians he shows us pictures of the worst and best of humanity. He often places our worst motives and deeds in the category of the “flesh.” In his letter to the Galatians, he reminds them of what life without Christ was like. The picture is dark indeed. But then in these beautiful verses he writes about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He enunciates character qualities which the Holy Spirit produces in the believer.
Would you covenant with me starting today to focus on one of these nine character qualities a day through the end of the month of August? Let’s start with love today. Scott Bertrand pointed out in a recent sermon that in ancient literature, lists of virtues started with the first and most important quality. Love is foundational. Paul tells the Ephesians to “live a life of love.” Today let’s love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Let’s love our neighbors as ourselves. Let’s love our enemies. Did I lose you? The scripture teaches us that we are to love our enemies as Christ did. That is, by the way, how we became his friends. For us, life should not be Jekyll, Jekyll, Hyde, Jekyll, Hyde, Hyde, Jekyll. Christ’s love for us and in us is consistent and constant. Peach trees grow peaches, not lemons. Christians grow love, supernaturally through the power of Christ. No room for hate. Love. Today.
