Rector’s Blog – day 80

Dear Friends

1 John 3:  16 – 18

Do you know, I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed these verses before.  I was trying to find some verses about love and decided to look at 1 John, right near the end of the bible, which talks about love quite a lot.  And they suddenly jumped out at me.

How would you describe the word ‘love’?  Is it warm feelings inside?  Well possibly, but I know that the people who love me the most are almost the ones whom I annoy the most and I wouldn’t blame them if they wanted to throttle me as much as hug me.  Is it to do with being comfortable with people.  Well partly, but I know again that some of the people I love most are distinctly hard to be with a lot of the time.  Actually today’s verses give a really useful answer.  Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.  Love is intensely practical.  It’s more about doing than saying..  So I know there are deep bonds of love in the two examples I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph but that love is displayed in practical relationship rather than emotional feelings.

Thinking about love also helps us see what our own priorities really are.  I hope I would have enough love within me to leap out into the road to save someone from being run over.  I hope I might have enough sacrificial love to do this whether I knew the person or not.  I don’t know if I would, but I quite like the idea I would be brave enough.  However if I passed a rough sleeper and loved them enough to stop and talk to them, and maybe even built up a relationship with them strong enough to decide they wouldn’t waste money on nefarious substances, I don’t really like the idea that by giving them £500 I could enable them to move into accommodation.  And that says something about my relative values that is not very attractive!  What about you?  Love makes demands!

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?  We are remarkably fortunate to live in a country that has the resources to cope with rogue viruses that spring upon us.  That same virus is now hitting far less privileged nations where social distancing is all but impossible and medical care is stretched beyond breaking point  And these are our brother and sister human beings yet they are scarcely even mentioned in the news.  If you are a loving person, how are you going to demonstrate God’s love towards these most desperate of all people?  After all, Jesus loves us enough to lay down his life for us.  We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us?and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

Even in the darkest moments, love gives hope.
Love compels us to fight against coronavirus alongside our sisters and brothers living in poverty.
Love compels us to stand together in prayer with our neighbours near and far.
Love compels us to give and act as one.
Now, it is clear that our futures are bound together more tightly than ever before.
As we pray in our individual homes – around the nation and around the world – we are united as one family.
So, let us pause and find a moment of peace, as we lift up our hearts together in prayer.

WWhen did you last sing The Servant King?  Why not sing alone?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07hsmf5