Greetings everyone! I hope you had a meaningful and enjoyable Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.

One day during the Days of UB I was glancing through my local newspaper and found the following headlines in the "Living" section of the paper:

" "Getting in His Head - how to tell if he's a keeper or a con" (review of a book titled Date Decoder).
" "Singles tune in to Comcast's dating service" (a feature article about a service provided by a cable company).
" "Wife fears husband will cheat again" (an anxious wife's plea for help from a personal advice column).
" "Saying goodbye is never easy" (oops, that one's about the death of a pet).

I found it interesting that so many articles on that particular day were about understanding, finding and maintaining a genuine, safe and meaningful relationship. It's always been a challenge for singles to find opportunities to find and become acquainted with potentially compatible fellow singles. But in this world dating can be downright dangerous because people often aren't who they seem to be.

Most relationships in our society (whether between singles or others) are based on selfishness. The approach is, "What can you do for me?" People want to be around others who make them happy; people who make them look good and who do things that please them. We all gravitate to people who makes us feel good about ourselves. But isn't that a bit selfish? Is that approach really a basis for a lasting, safe and meaningful relationship?

The articles, advice columns and books cited above indicate a general lack of understanding of the most important quality upon which any meaningful relationship must be based. That quality is the heart of a true friend whose approach is, "What can I do to serve you?" It's an attitude of wanting to help others feel good about themselves, to help them be happy and to do good things for them.

On the evening of Passover Jesus gave His disciples one of the most important lessons of life: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

This new commandment takes relationships to a whole new level. We're not required to only love others as we love ourselves - but to love others as Jesus loves them. Jesus' entire purpose was to sacrifice for and to serve mankind. Relationships in general (and dating in particular) become very different when we take that approach. There would be no more conning or cheating, no more posturing and pretending and no more trying to "get" what we can from another person - replaced by a genuine care for and a desire to serve the needs of others.

What a different world it would be if people lived by the standard Jesus set! And what a privilege it is to be among those who have that understanding and who are striving to build their relationships on the sure foundation of the love of Jesus Christ!

--Don Henson