Love
/The commandments… are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ - Romans 13:9
I must admit that the pandemic, and the political animosity in the news each day, and recent natural disasters around the country, and my growing awareness of systemic racism, and the rise of militias and increasing gun violence on the streets, and the incivility between people online, and….
Whew. Just writing that list is exhausting. And what I must admit is that I’m exhausted. I bet we all are. It comes from feeling powerless to understand what’s going on, powerless to do anything about changing it. It’s exhausting not to know how long this stress will go on and what things will look like when it’s over. I’ve so often shared how sick people in the hospital are relieved to get a diagnosis - any diagnosis, even if it’s bad. Because knowing what you’re dealing with is far easier than not knowing. And we find ourselves living in a time of not knowing much of anything! How will this all resolve? It’s exhausting to worry about it.
When I feel powerless, I know where to go. I go to prayer and to Scripture. I go to loved ones and friends. I go to colleagues and mentors. I go out into nature. I go all the places and to all the people that remind me that I am not alone.
And I remember love.
In our current predicament, it’s like we’re all waiting anxiously for a diagnosis, and exhausting ourselves with wondering what’s going to happen. So we try to find who’s to blame. The saddest part of the way our nation is behaving right now is that each side truly believes they are in the right and the other side is not only wrong, but evil. I believe there are some evil forces at work among us these days, for the ‘evil one’ delights in bringing out the worst in us and sowing the seeds of division. But when I begin to think those that do not agree with me are less human than I am, I know I am not remembering love.
But how can you parse out what is truly right and wrong in this heightened and anxious environment - an environment of denial, blame, deflection, lying, etc? Again, I remember love. I know and I confess that all of God’s law is summed up in the love of God, self and neighbor. I know and I confess that love is always the right measure for me to use. Love is the mission statement of our Christian faith. If it’s not about love, it’s not about God, as Bishop Curry likes to say.
When faced with a political or environmental or racial or public health issue, as faithful people we are called to look to what Jesus would do, and follow in those footsteps. We’re called to ask questions like, “What can I do to be compassionate toward this person? What am I being called, personally, to do for a neighbor who is vulnerable in some way? How can I be a loving voice, and not a voice of judgement in my own sphere? How can I shine a light on goodness rather than gossipping about others’ sins and failings? What important stands can I confidently take in this world? Stands that are firmly rooted in love?”
Love is the measure of what is right and wrong. That is what Jesus taught us. When I am feeling powerless and exhausted, I reserve what little energy I seem to have for sharing love. I cannot fix it. But I can love.
This Sunday’s readings are HERE. Ordinary time offers many readings to contemplate each Sunday. Track 1 will lead you through certain Old Testament books week by week more in depth. Track 2 provides an Old Testament text that is meant to compliment the Gospel of the week.
