December 29, 2012
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Christian Love
Rev. Edwin asked me for song suggestions for today and Icame up with “They will know we are Christians by our love.” It wasn’t until I was crafting my sermon thatI realized a good hymn for today would have been, “Love came down at Christmas,Love all lovely, love divine, Love was born at Christmas, star and angels gavethe sign.” Love was born at Christmas,we are one in the bond of love, and they will know we are Christians by ourlove. These are all very powerful hymnsof faith about our Christian love. Theearly church was defined by its love, not just for members of the church butfor the communities where the church existed. Their new way of treating others earned them the nickname, people of theway. These early Christian congregationscreated innovative ways of caring for people that evolved into hospitals,orphanages, and food cooperatives. Theearly Christian church had a strong tradition of love, love for all of God’screation.
What about today? Would you expect most people when asked what word they would associatewith Christian would come up with the word love? I don’t know that even most of us in theChristian Church would come up with love as our first word of association withthe word Christian. What happened? I do not believe it is a coincidence that thedecline of the Christian Church as a model of compassion for others seems to parallelthe church’s rise to power in political institutions. The church no longer persecuted became moreconcerned with increasing its power and wealth since it was not focused onsurvival of not only its members but the message of God. While Jesus lived on the earth, he shunnedevery suggestion he assert political authority and claim the throne ofDavid. Even when the Pharisees tried toget him to speak out against the rule of Caesar, Jesus answered render untoCaesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. Christian love is not about forcing otherpeople to accept our authority and live as we think God wants them to live.
I have been so distressed with those who have tried to turnthe discussion about the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary into a referendum onprayer in schools and whether we say “One nation under God” in ourclassrooms. Forcing children to recite apledge about God’s sovereignty or praying to God is meaningless to children whohave no personal relationship with God. Schools are not where children should be taught about God or forced to repeatsomeone else’s prayer to God. Childrenshould learn about God from those who know God and who know the child and willtake the time to answer the child’s questions. Loving relationships are never forced relationships. God was present at Sandy Hook and those whoknew God knew God was there with them. Those who didn’t know God may have got a glimpse of God when God’speople responded in God honoring, self-sacrificing ways. The letter to the church of Colossus tells usto put on God’s love like a garment. Itdoes not say to put the garment on others, or tell others how they should livein God honoring love. We put on thegarment of love and we find ourselves bound together with all of the rest ofcreation in that God honoring love. Christianlove does not make us superior to anyone, Christian love binds us to everyoneelse is shared community of compassion and support.
I read the story of Jesus in the story from Luke that weheard today in a very different way than I understood it from my early Christianeducation. I was told the story showedthe divinity of Jesus. He was in thetemple demonstrating his superior knowledge and confounding the Rabbis andpriests. But that isn’t really what thestory says. The story says that Jesuswas with the Rabbis and priests and listening and asking questions. Jesus was learning from them and they wereamazed at the depth of this questions and understanding. Being Christ did not mean Jesus did not havethings to learn from those around him, nor did it mean he was not to be subjectto authority. The story says Jesus wenthome with Mary and Joseph was obedient and matured in stature and wisdom. The implication is that Jesus should not haveworried his parents, should not have stayed behind in the temple when it wastime to return home and he needed to do some growing up. I believe this story speaks to us asfollowers of Jesus. Sometimes we need tobe willing to be taught, sometimes we need to submit to authority, and sometimeswe just need to grow up.
The sweet sentimental concept of Christian love is not amature image of God’s love. God’s lovesometimes means we must speak truth to power and not hold back our directlanguage. Sometimes God love requires usto clearly define for ourselves what is Caesar’s and what is God’s. We cannot surrender our morality to thegovernment because that is God’s. Whengovernment rules and actions our immoral we are compelled to say, NO!” We cannot surrender our compassion to thegovernment because that is God’s. Whenthe government fails to care for the poor, the ill, the children, the aliens,or for the environment, our compassion compels us to act. I do not believe God judges us on what ourgovernment does. I believe God judges uson what we do. We will not answer to Godas a US citizen, or a Michigander, or as a citizen of some localauthority. We will all be asked how weshowed Christian love in our own actions. It is not enough to have said loving things, and spoke kindly toothers. That isn’t Christian love. Christian love is how we lived out Jesus’example of healing others, giving to those who had nothing to give in return,showing respect to those who were considered outside of polite society, andspeaking out against the use of religion to exploit or demean others. That is what Christian love is to me. When we love as Christ loves, then otherswill know we are Christians by our love. Amen.
