Dr. Tan Tek Seng

Daily Reflection
November 20, 2025

“If anyone has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need but shuts up his compassion, how can the love of God dwell in him? Dear children, let us not love each other with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”

1 John 3:17–18

The love spoken of in the Bible is not an emotion or an abstract concept, but a life force that motivates people to make sacrifices.

Toyohiko Kagawa (1888–1960) was a prominent Japanese Christian reformer and labor movement leader. Born into privilege and educated at a top university, he could have chosen a comfortable, respectable, and influential life. However, he chose a completely different path—a path that made the love of Christ visible, tangible, and undeniable. Kagawa voluntarily moved into the heart of the Shinkawa slum in Kobe, abandoning his own comfort and security to live among the poor and serve those most in need. His compassion was manifested not only in his presence but also in his advocacy, action, and daily sacrifice. He pursued justice with humility and gentleness, living out the character of Christ. Although this mission plunged him into extreme exhaustion, illness, and misunderstanding, he never wavered, for he firmly believed that love without action is not true faith.

He didn't preach from a pulpit, but in a small hut in the slums. He didn't rely on flowery words, but on sacrificial love to bear witness to the truth. He didn't rely on emotional expression, but on sweat, tears, and the practice of his life.

He Chuan's life is the clearest portrayal of Christ's love in action—a mercy that touches the broken, lifts up the weary, and reveals God's will.

May the love of Christ also propel us toward the wounded corners of the world—so that mercy may become visible through our lives, and that the world may see the heart of the living God.

1 John 3:17–18 teaches us that true love reflects the self-sacrificing love of Jesus. It transcends words, manifesting in continuous, real, and compassionate actions that allow those who do not love to see the heart of God.

"To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the highest achievement, and the highest status in life." — Henry Blackaby