May 28, 2000
The pattern was set long ago. In his great love for us God would set choices in front of us. In a garden remembered now only in story God set a choice before our ancestors. They did not choose so wisely. Later in the desert, God set a choice before our ancestors on that occasion they chose more wisely, accepting the covenant and becoming God's people. In the passage just read from the Gospel a command was set before our ancestors in the faith, and they chose to follow that commandment of love. Today the same choice is set before us (again).
John tells us about God and love and about how we are to be with one another. He is talking with authority in his letter. In the Gospel, he presents Jesus speaking with authority about his command to love one another. What he cannot and will not tell us is how to choose.
What makes his teaching compelling is that he had experienced the love about which he speaks. He witnessed love at work, healing, feeding, forgiving, calling the dead to life. What makes the words of Jesus so powerful is the action that followed his words. In the midst of our violent world, we have experienced the same love of God at work in Jesus and we have come to trust ourselves counted in the company of friends for whom Jesus laid down his own life. We have chosen, however imperfectly, to follow his way of love.
Everyone of us comes this morning with some experience of love. There were adults in our lives, most often our parents, but not always, who showed us the way as they loved us. Even in the most imperfect of families we discovered love and we tasted its joy. As children we figured that our parents knew everything, saw everything, controlled everything. Their power over us was seemingly complete. Over time, of course, we learned that our parents didn't know everything, didn't see everything, and didn't control everything. Oh sure, to the extent that they could, they did all they could to make our lives good, and to teach us to be caring and giving people. But finally, we hold them dear not because they provided, not because of their power over us, but because they loved us. In our own growing up, it was the way of love that made a difference, not the way of power.
And as we celebrate this Memorial Day Weekend the way of power and the way of love are put in sharp contrast. The way of power is direct, clean, purposeful, it gets things done. Of course, along the way damage is done, people are hurt and harmed, but things get done. As citizens of the 20th Century we are well acquainted with the misuse of power and the harm it causes. At some point, the way of power may be defeated by a superior power, but the pain inflicted endures as a legacy of its harm.
The way of love isn't so precise. The outcome is never quite as sure. It is risky. To borrow from Paul: Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Cor 13:4-8). At some point love may be rejected, but the way of love will never be defeated, and its legacy is of health and wholeness and joy.
I believe what John says, "God is love." I believe that in Jesus, so that there could be no doubt about it, the way of love was presented as God's way. To the disappointment of the faithful who expected the savior, the messiah, to be a great warrior able to crush the Romans and send them back across the sea, Jesus showed the way of love to be God's way.
The way of power had to send an armed contingent in the dark of night to forcibly hold and bind Jesus for trial. Day by day Jesus walked openly in the Temple precincts telling of God's love. While the powerful wielded swords and other weapons, Jesus had his word and I would think a smile. When delivered to the authorities Jesus was bound, presumably to render him harmless. By contrast, Jesus used his hands to bless and heal, so that the lame straightened and walked, the blind regained their sight, and the mute began to speak.
The way of power used lies and deceit to demonstrate the reasons Jesus should die. The first trial was held in the dark of night. Jesus did not hold back the truth about love, about God, about being a part of the kingdom of God. The way of power whipped and beat and taunted Jesus, demonstrating for all who would look what would happen to those who refused to accept the rule of this way of power. Jesus spoke words of comfort and hope, calling forth Lazarus and unbinding him, forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man and then helping him up to walk home.
The way of power decided that it was better for one man to die than for a whole people to suffer. The way of power was able to incite the crowd to shout with gusto: "Crucify him, crucify him." The way of love willingly gave his life for his friends, taking on their burdens and the burdens of the whole world. And from the cross the way of love prayed for those in power: "Father, forgive them."
The way of power may evoke awe, it may evoke fear, by brutal force it may insure submission, but this is not what God desires. God desires our love, the way of power cannot transform me into a more sensitive or caring person, but love sure can. Twelve legions of angels, indeed, all the angels of heaven acting powerfully in concert could not save one soul, but a crucified love could. "Love one another as I have loved you." The way of love is the way of our salvation.
We will honor those fallen in battle in a few moments. Courage and sacrifice were called upon to meet the challenge of stopping misguided uses of the way of power. The ache and the tears for lives lost, for hopes and love lost, still give us pause. We remember. And remembering, we draw upon our knowledge of the way of love. We draw upon our knowledge of God and God's way lived out in Jesus of Nazareth. We renew our choice to follow the way of love.
This knowledge, this love of God is in our hearts. It draws us here. It draws us back again and again. We have been at the foot of the cross. We have seen love abused and crucified and seemingly dead from the foot of that cross. We have been at the empty tomb, and we have been in the upper room, to feel the embrace of love alive and undefeated holding us again in joy and vitality.
We know God, we know the way of love, we know the power of love as it is poured into our hearts, so especially on this day as we recall the horror and costs of battle, let us resolve again to live into the command of Jesus and share in his joy! Let us never tire to share that love with others and invite others to know this way, too. May God be glorified as we choose life and love. Amen.
The Rev. Daniel Rondeau
drondeau@stmargarets.org
28 May 2000