What does it take for us to be God’s love in our world?
Jesus asks us to remain in his love. In John’s Gospel, Jesus makes it clear how to do this: whoever loves me will keep my word. Knowing his love for us, opening to his love always, that love will teach us everything we need to know and help us to embody that love for our world. Do not let your hearts be troubled, he tells his disciples: if your heart is troubled, you have lost the focus; peace comes of true union with Christ in love. The love that Jesus offers us is so beyond our own comprehension that we can only move toward it, letting him perfect that love in us, that we might be his love and peace in our world.
This was the goal of the first Christian community described in the Acts of the Apostles. Learning that other teachers have come through the community and disturbed their peace of mind, Paul, Barnabas and a few others go to remind the community that peace is to be their goal, first and foremost. If they affirm and proclaim God’s activity among them, they will be well-positioned to live in community, to love in community, to be community. Then, as Psalm 67 says, God’s face will shine upon them, showering blessings down constantly. And one day, the Book of Revelation promises, the New Jerusalem – the Church – will gleam with the splendor of God, its radiance like that of a precious stone, with the glory of God to give it light. All this, if we keep Jesus’ word, living in love and embodying that love to our world.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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