We often encounter such passages about love in the Scriptures. We might often skim them as they are so familiar. Please don’t, on this occasion as least. We are looking at whether loving someone could also be self-giving.
It brings humanity closer and removes the labels which only should exist on jam jars not people.
One of the 613
Yes there are more than 10 Commandments. Of them all, we have one that stands out, and is highlighted to many religions and faiths across our world. “Love One Another” is a key statement from Jesus at the presumably Last Supper with his disciples. [That really depends upon which Gospel you choose to read]. In John 13:31-35 we might omit, as it precedes these verses, the focus upon Judas and Peter, with all of their perceived denials. Jesus appears to focus upon the forthcoming mission, even through his own death is imminent.
So death isn’t a failure?
Jesus sees that his death isn’t a failure, as seen by the disciples initially, and by the Roman authorities, but a a victory of shame over weakness. Shame is a key facet of Jewish understanding. Jesus’ death was shameful, not merely sad, but his death occurred under shameful circumstances. Naked, spat at, ridiculed, he was young, no male relative to take on his family name and he was to eventually use another person’s tomb.
But in all this, Jesus sees that God will be glorified – what do I mean? God’s purpose here will be seen as positive. The love shown by the disciples hasn’t been entirely perfect – then again I doubt my responses to those of the last week would have been any better. Nevertheless, the disciples tried to do their best meaningfully. “As we remember those who have loved us, we probably acknowledge that while their love wasn’t perfect, it was marvellously powerful“. [David Lose].
Who is it hard to love?
An author asks some questions of us:
Why is it so hard to love? Who is it hard to love?
Could it be that it would make us too vulnerable. That we would be exposed or potentially we are fearful of being damaged. Those who we may be fearful have opposing arguments to us, they wouldn’t like what we think – we are opposites.
So I met up with local Muslims in my last place. I made it clear that I didn’t want to convert them, and they said likewise. We wanted to understand each other, moving us away from the stereotypical them and us approach portrayed by the media. We pondered whether there was a central area where our possibly different understandings were actually common? Because if so, couldn’t we find solace there rather than exist in conflict outside of that area?
When I met up with 100+ LGBTQ+ Christians in London, at a church service, because they couldn’t openly worship at their own church, I saw love in a very different way. I was the outsider and saw the vision in my heart and knew it couldn’t exist anymore.
How does it feel to be loved?
It’s great when we can know that we are welcomed especially from place of perceived danger. It fires us up, not to split apart of what has just been joined together, but to see what else might be common.
It brings humanity closer and removes the labels which only should exist on jam jars not people.
So how?
Jesus isn’t asking us to take an examination, to having to believe or accept certain different creeds or ideals but about doing things that change us. It was Augustine back in the 5th C who said that Jesus was talking about spiritual love not carnal desires – thanks Augustine, not particularly helpful. So Cyril of Alexandria, similar era, spoke about self-giving love: and here he may have a point.
If the love we offer was self-giving, life affirming not life draining, we might just see a way of being loving to folk. That command to love one another can be seen in the midst of fear and awfulness that is present or is to come. “I’d love to love everyone but not in these circumstances”. It may be that fear and self-preservation that denies us what God is promising us. That we can have life in all its abundance if we can love those around us.
Acts 11:1-18
We have moved forward in time, in terms of when this is portrayed but probably at roughly the same time it was written. Here in Acts, the Way, the Christian movement is emerging. Let’s not get carried away that this is a Christian Church: what we have here are Jews and non-Jews finding a common ground in which they can worship God and find new life. This isn’t a denial of Judaism for Christianity but a common melding of understanding.
The Pharisee’s accuse Peter “Why do you eat with them?” This is all to close to the accusation the Pharisee’s gave to Jesus. They don’t want mixing but purity. However, before we – in truly pantomime style – starting booing the Pharisees, they did mean well. They sought to take the Torah and put it into effect literally. They also acknowledged that creating a stir with the ruling Romans always turns out badly for them and others.
Peter has just – the previous chapter – had a vision that there is no distinction between the clean and unclean. He gets this emphasised to him 3 times...3 times. So what happened?
So who is with Cornelius?
God goes to this chap Cornelius, Roman Captain of the Guard based in Caesarea. Peter doesn’t bring God to Cornelius and his non-Jewish friends but follows where God already is.
The potential Crime for the Church is that we often seek to bring God, whether God likes it or not, with us where we think God should go. Given that our faith speaks of prayer, being relationship with God, surely we should seek where God is first? and then follow?
Our love isn’t to account for the time that we might spend with others, or how much money we have donated to a great cause, or how much food we can give to the food bank – great things that they are. Think of the women at the Temple with the two small coins: let’s stop being capitalist and focus on amounts but look at our willingness to be with others. Then we can allow them to see us as we truly are – warts and all, imperfect but loving. God is already there remember.
Crucial Verse
In Acts 10:28 it reads “God has shown me that I should never call a person impure or unclean”. Oh how the Church might be ducking its head at such a statement. And I suppose we have all been there: but there is hope here.
How might we consider those of other faiths, or women or transgender women, immigrants or refugees, those on the political divide? What change might result in us if we were to look at all people differently, and see not barriers but bridges that could be built between folk? And when fear and self-perseveration raise their heads, we recall that God is already there. So why aren’t we?
I enjoyed the dialogue it was very interesting