John 13:31-35
Easter 5 - Year C
Clarity is generally a good thing. Conversion, forgiveness, and repentance, however, are not predictable. No matter how clear decisions appear to be. There needs to be room left for Judas to have a change of heart. Who knows what encounter he will have between leaving Jesus’ crew and arriving in a house of power to betray Jesus. Bet against new insight at your own peril.
I do wish it wasn’t reported that Jesus had/shared his “new” insight after Judas left. Having Judas among those who are to love one another would add a whole new dimension to this revelation. There is long history of disciples not entirely accurately representing their teacher in their dealing with their teacher, neighbors, or one another. If love doesn't incorporate differences, is it love?
Want to know you are dealing with Jesus’ disciples, see how they love their sisters and brothers with whom they have profound differences. Anything less than this is a fairytale that they live happily ever after without difficulties.
Does Judas fit within “love one another”? Or is “love your enemies” the only rubric left for Judas?
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2013/04/john-1331-35.html
Apparently Jesus went away too soon -- leaving us with a "command" to love one another, based on his modeling of this way-of-life.
The leaving too soon comes from a recognition that we have not followed the command. The modeling was not sufficient for us to catch on. The modeling of the culture has been more effective in separating us.
And yet for Jesus to have stayed longer would have placed us in the position of having the outer form of love without the heart. We would keep the repetition of particular acts without being able to extend that love to an ever new and changing community that brings in folks we never thought we would be invited to be with in a loving relationship.
So, how wide is the word "another"? Is it limited to a faith community? Is it a seedbed for being seen as creation-wide love?
Here is how creation will know we love -- we have come through the cultural temptations not to love and joined Jesus and other divines who walked an expanding way.
And, yes, here at General Conference we have the words and the form of the "command" but not the heart. The culture of power and money continue to be the order of the day. May the far-off refrain of Jesus build as we whisper it to one another until we are able to say it straight out without lapsing into yelling and protesting too much.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/may2004.html
Into the decision of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church to deny the truth of the differences within the body regarding human sexuality there is still a whisper from of old - "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
This suggests it is important to be disciples before and "making" of disciples.
What then does it mean to love another.
When young we are hedged round with rules. As maturity occurs those early rules are modified to greater and greater situations where there is more and more ambiguity.
In terms of sexuality The United Methodist Church has acted as though sexuality were immutable according to a myth of human origin. The rules of childhood are simply projected into the aging process. This does keep things "clear" (a key argument) but it loses one's "identity."
To love another is to deal with them where they are and as they may become - real human beings able to grow ever deeper into their identity, relationship with another and others, and to become whole as G*O*D is whole.
Unlove is to fit everyone to one model - no identity, relating from one's self alone, and forever fallen, never to rise again.
And so what is the world going to see about our love of one another? That we don't because we don't honor brothers and sisters of Jesus to have received a different gift from the Holy Spirit.
This is the same process as John Wesley's understanding of spreading holiness abroad, beginning with the church. No inside, no outside.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/may2004.html
Now we have been glorified!
After all was said and done at General Conference there was a time of communion offered by the Common Ground groups advocating for the truth of a statement that church members are not of one understanding in regard to other orientations than a strict heterosexual one (not to mention the diversity within that orientation).
The members of the Body of Christ present shared again the unity of approaching G*O*D through the path Jesus also walked of the revelation of being a partner of G*O*D in a commonwealth already present, if not realized.
We still stand. There is no legislation, misunderstanding or crucifixion that keeps this revelational experience of standing from us.
We continue to be loved and to love. We continue to receive glory and to offer it to others.
Out of this glory we can affirm that everyone is doing the best they can, given the various experiences, teachings/learnings, and limitations we live with. This best still finds itself being wounded and wounding others.
May glory be understood as a subcategory of mercy. May it be received and offered.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/may2004.html
This is bedrock evangelism - Love One Another. It is bedrock for every on-going faith group (and probably any group one finds worthwhile).
Without this there is no Christianity - Love One Another, Just As I Have Loved You. This is our definition - G*D's/Christ's/Jesus' love, for us and through us.
Without this enactment there is nothing to say to anyone about any doctrine, even a doctrine of loving one another.
This is also not a commandment in the old "rule" or "demand" sense. It makes "commandments" new in nature and should have a new name. Today I'm not up to attempting that naming, but would value any attempts you would be willing to offer.
- - -
betrayal becomes glorification
in chronos
glorification becomes betrayal
in kairos
what do you become?
in your time
by these statements and question
we become more than we know