Tuesday 14 October 2008

Today we draw from Hauerwas's use of 1 John 4:13-21.

Because we Christians believe we worship a resurrected Lord, we can take the risk to love. Thus we are told in 1 John 4:13-21:
"By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love of God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because he first loved us. If any one says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love the brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also."

First of all it is so important to never forget that love is a risk. When we love we step out beyond the safety (or at least our notion of safety) and give ourselves away to another so that the separation that is between us is lifted. No matter how or when we step out, it is not a secure place. There is always the threat that we will be destroyed - emotionally, socially, spiritually, financially, etc. Therefore, we often stay to ourselves and allow the separation between us to rule our actions. Alas, love is a foreign concept. To love is a risk in our world. From 1 John there are these wonderful words for us: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." The lack of separation between one another and thus between us and God - that is love - places us within the promise of the Reign of God that we see as we look to the other side of resurrection. The life of Jesus as one who lived within that love (life without separation) was a risk-filled life but it was and is and always will be the life that is affirmed by our God forever. Therefore, we need not fear stepping forward into the promised land of the love we see in Jesus - the love of God that is our life.

Connection: Each time we move beyond the separation among us - and it can happen in more ways than we can imagine - we are taking part in the vision of God's love that is the life resurrected. This is real life stuff - not merely theory or religious words.

Come, Peacemaker and Liberator, Come and nurture a love that will take us beyond ourselves so that we can connect with others and no longer look for ways to remain separated from those we would even call our enemies. This is no easy adventure. And yet, we know that it is one that brings a fullness of life that is simply beyond our imagination....so help us to imagine even more. Amen.