There’s an irony in the most famous verse of scripture being associated with signs at baseball games and written on an athlete’s eyeblack. It is lousy evangelism.

Perhaps it gets people to look up the verse, which speaks of God’s love. But it doesn’t speak of love. It is a dude holding a sign or playing a game—ironically, one commonly compared to the kind of gladiator combat that martyred Christians.

When we proclaim the love of God, we do so as lovers. As teachers who love their subject. We can’t throw out a Bible verse and expect people to follow the breadcrumbs—because we, too, are breadcrumbs.

Sending people to a passage about love through sacrifice isn’t nearly as effective as actually showing them. Or walking with them on the journey. Being with each other, sharing God’s love—that feels loving.