Love is not a safe choice

Jesus commanded us to love (John 15:12).  He didn't suggest it or tell us it would be a good idea, He commanded it and He did this because He knew it would not come naturally or be easy or safe.  The easy stuff comes naturally and if you have ever been my passenger while I am driving, you know this to be true! I maintain regularly that Jesus gave this command to love before cars.....so....
I scream and curse and say I hate other drivers all the time and it's so easy to do it. The hard part is trying not to, the hard part is responding with love and patience and understanding.  It seems ever increasingly, that our world is choosing hate and fear over love and understanding. Our first instinct is to care for ourselves, jump to conclusions, mistrust what we don't understand, kill what we do not love, suppress what we do not agree with and seek our own comfort above all else.  
I had a conversation with my friend Karolyn just two days ago, and through tears she asked, "Why is the world so full of hate?"  And I gave her my nice, safe response that places blame justly, on the Devil..."Satan is alive and well in this world and you can tell."  This is true, and the Bible tells me he is a lion who is seeking prey (I Peter 5:8), but there is more to the story than that.  God has left believers here as lights to shine in the darkness of the world, but too many times I point my finger at the enemy instead of at myself.  Why am I not out loving the world?  We are being told everyday to stay home, stay safe, but Jesus didn't tell His disciples to stay at home and stay safe, He told them to go out and to take nothing with them (Luke 10:3-4) (and this was before antibiotics and vaccines and clean water).  Now, I know the world is a dangerous place and we should be cautious in it, but last time I checked, we are all in mortal bodies that are decaying and Jesus does not care if we are comfortable, He wants us working and continuing the mission He set forth!  
Love and hate are not feelings that are thrust upon us, they are choices we make everyday. Hate and mistrust are natural and easy but love and understanding require me to learn about others, seek truth and be vulnerable to others.  You do not have to look far to see a need for love in this world, just turn on the news and you will see that the world is desperately crying out for anything that makes sense.  It is clawing at the darkness, begging for some light, an answer to all that is misunderstood and the answer is Jesus!  He chose to die for us so that we could live a perfect and beautiful eternity with Him.  Dying on a cross for us was not a safe choice, but it was the ultimate display of love and Jesus is the only thing that will quell the darkness!