“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
-Colossians 3:12-14
The author and creator of the “Wonderful Wizard of OZ” was a man named L. Frank Baum. While writing the iconic story, Baum was stumped as to what to name this magical land of Tin Men and Scarecrows. While seated at his desk one evening, he noticed the file cabinet next to his desk with one drawer labeled “A-N” and another labeled “O-Z”. OZ! That’s how the iconic name was created. Baum would pass away some 20 years prior to the actual screenplay and filming of the famed novel. While filming, the head of wardrobe was unhappy with the jacket for the Wizard of OZ. He sent out a team of interns to scour Hollywood to find a replacement. One returned from a thrift store with the jacket that would eventually be worn by the great OZ. After filming, the team was shocked to notice a name embroidered on the inside of the jacket. That name was L.Frank Baum! The author and creator’s jacket was sold to a thrift store decades earlier and worn during the film.
In the same way, when we choose to put on love, we are, in essence, wearing the jacket of the Author and Creator of all things. Love is a tired word in the English language. We love everything: our dog, the Jets, pizza, and our spouse. Hopefully, we don’t mean the same thing for each of those objects of our love. You see, if we love everything, then we love nothing. Love is often watered down to just a feeling, and yet it is so much more. Feelings are great but very inconsistent and random. What happens if I don’t feel love? Paul says, “put it on”. When feelings of love feel impossible, we are encouraged, challenged, and commanded to put love on like a garment, like a jacket. We choose to love as an act of our will, and in so doing, we put on the coat of our great Author and Creator. You are most like Jesus when you choose to put love on.