The Flight to Agape
The Final Installment of Floor 1776
You often hear the phrase “Love is Love,” and it is a little strange to me since my name is Love. It is hard to live up to a name like that, but it is the one I was given. You also recently learned about my brother, Truth, and my sister, Hope. If you did not get a chance to read their stories they are here and here.
Recently, my sister, Hope, called to tell me about what happened to her and to Truth. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. After talking to them, I quickly realized what each experienced was unique to them. It was a message they needed to hear. It also became clear that they would be sharing that message with their family and friends.
Truth will focus on the real history of our nation, our founding documents, and emphasize that America needs to turn back or risk losing everything.
Hope will focus on the same history and emphasize that America and our founding documents were based on a biblical foundation. She will also start visiting churches and get them involved in fighting for America like they did during the time of the American Revolution.
I was excited for them, and I began to wonder if I would have something happen to me as well. But I could not figure out what yet. Little did I know what was coming next.
I woke up in a cold sweat; the names of two towns on my mind – Mankato, Minnesota, and Flora, Mississippi. I had dreams of both and knew I had to visit them. Why? I did not yet know. Neither seemed all that significant, but I came to realize that what is insignificant to us is more significant to God.
I booked flights to both locations and didn’t even know where I should go on arrival. After packing, I went to bed ready for my early morning departure. The alarm goes off, and I am soon on a plane enroute to Mankato. I did not sleep well last night, and I quickly fell asleep in my seat. I saw visions and heard the word “Crossview” spoken clearly in my mind. I woke up as the tires hit the runway. After searching for Crossview on my phone, I could only find one location – the Crossview Covenant Church.
Just like with my sister, I stepped foot in a church building for the first time in a long time. On arrival, I immediately entered the church building and was greeted by someone who introduced himself as Luke. I told him I did not know why I was visiting but was willing to attempt to explain it. He did not seem concerned. Instead, he said I was just in time to attend a small group study in I Corinthians, Chapter 13.
In studying this chapter, they taught me the real meaning of Christian love and that true love risks telling each other truths that may hurt but are necessary to healing. It also means that we do not leave people to live in sin out of fear of offending them. This lesson was powerful for me and made me see that true love is not what this world often wants it to be. I learned a lot that evening. Mostly that love is not just love; it is much deeper and more honest than that. I learned that Christian love is focused on the desire to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and is therefore a love with an eternal goal.
The next morning, I departed Mankato for Flora. Once again, I fell asleep and this time I heard the word “Railroad.” Landing in Jackson I searched once again and found that Flora had a “Railroad Pizza Company.” Fortunately, I was hungry.
I walked in and saw a small gathering of people seated on a leather couch. In front of them was a small table with open Bibles laid on it. I walked over and introduced myself. As if I was meant to be there, a spot was open on the couch, and I sat next to a girl close to my age named Breanna. It was then I noticed they were studying I Corinthians 13.
The person leading the study then read verses 4-7:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I had read this section many years ago, but the part about love not delighting in evil and rejoicing in truth stuck out. I had learned in Mankato that true love is much harder than the kind of love advertised by the world. It means risking conflict to bring truth to people in hopes of bringing healing. True love means standing up to evil, rejoicing in truth, and persevering against the lies and deceit of people while also praying for them. It means standing in the gap to protect our families from those who would inflict evil measures upon them. I learned that the real conflict is spiritual, but it is ok to display righteous anger when it is needed.
What I did not know was why I was in Mississippi when I could have learned this in Minnesota.
I headed home to Kirksville, Missouri, the next day with that question unanswered. I sat in my apartment pondering all I had learned and how to apply it to my life and the lives of others. Like my siblings, I came to realize that our parents named us the way they did for a reason. While the three of us talked, I asked them why I had to travel to two locations. It came to all of us at the same time. We just had to draw lines between our homes and my travel destinations.
It was the message that Truth, Hope, and Love are best displayed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Our mission is clear. We must do our sacred duty to bring that message to a nation by telling them our story. We do not know why we are the ones to do this, we just know we must.
It is a good thing we all have the same middle name, Faith.
Lt Col (ret), US Army, Darin Gaub is a Co-founder of Restore Liberty, an international military strategist and foreign policy analyst, an executive leadership coach, and serves on the boards of multiple volunteer national and state level organizations. The views presented are those of the author and do not represent the views of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, or its components. Darin is also an instructor of Biblical Apologetics with a science focus, he was ordained in 2011.
[1] https://creativedestructionmedia.com/opinion/2022/11/04/floor-1776/
https://creativedestructionmedia.com/opinion/2022/11/17/springs-eternal/