Jesus tells us today that he gives us a
new commandment – to love one another just as he has loved us. That seems pretty simple and direct on the
surface, doesn’t it? In fact, the young
children in our parish can explain to us that first and foremost, God is love
above everything else. But, as we all know
very well, to implement this commandment, to love one another, is not so
simple, is it?
It is important to note that Jesus did
not tell his disciples this commandment at a warm and cuddly moment on their
journey. He told them this as they were
gathered in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, as he was preparing them for
the reality of his upcoming death on the cross.
After Jesus had just washed the feet of his disciples as a symbol of his
servanthood, he told the disciples that one of them would betray him. In response, Judas leaves the gathering in the
middle of the night. Jesus declaring
this commandment in the midst of this harsh reality shows that loving one
another is more than just a warm sentiment.
Jesus tells us that even though he will no longer be here living on
earth, people will know that we are his disciples by the way we love one
another. Jesus is calling us to action.
We hear this commandment in the midst
of the Easter season, when we reflect upon what the risen Christ is all
about. We hear this commandment in the
midst of recent events going on in the world and in our community. Our nation is still trying to heal and come
to terms with the bombings in Boston.
For me, this event particularly hit home, since my sister and
brother-in-law work in the office building at Copley Square in downtown Boston,
which is located right there where the bombing took place. My brother-in-law had just left the office
about 15 minutes before the blast, so they were quite shaken up by everything
that happened. I also thought about
Earth Day, which we just celebrated last Monday. Recognizing Earth Day on April 22 each year
was the idea of Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin back in 1970, to bring
awareness for the need to be good stewards of our environment. Bringing healing
to a world where we still have so many acts of terrorism and violence,
promoting a respect for life here on earth and caring for our environment – all
of this is part of loving one another and living out the message of the Gospel
as disciples of Christ.
But, as I mentioned, applying this commandment to the reality world is
easier said than done. I remember when I
worked at a soup kitchen in Winnipeg as a lay missionary, we served quite a
eclectic group of individuals, many of whom were battling a lot of demons in
their lives – street people, prostitutes, people confronting addictions of many
kinds. Some of the addicts had hit rock
bottom so hard that they were sniffing paint, glue, and cleaning solvents in
order to get a fix. I realized early on
that were some individuals that I enjoyed interacting with, and others who were
so surly and belligerent and obstinate that I would just cringe the moment they
entered the soup kitchen, knowing that a confrontation would soon be
coming. Those difficult cases were
probably the ones who needed my love and compassion and help the most. It was often a challenge for me, handling
those tough situations, especially when I was having a rough day myself. But isn’t that what the commandment to love
one another is all about? In loving one
another, we are to bring God’s justice and mercy to our world – we are to
proclaim the values of his kingdom in the here and now of our present day
reality.
As we reflect upon this commandment of
love, we can think about how so many in our world think that if they are
enduring any turmoil or sufferings, God is punishing them somehow. Yet, we hear Paul and Barnabas declare in the
midst of their arduous missionary travels, any hardships or tribulations they
endure are an integral part of their journey to the kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas give honor and glory to
God, thanking God for allowing them to open the door of faith for those who
became believers. The power to love
according to Jesus’ commandment will not seem so impossible or so overwhelming
if we see God’s power and grace working within us to help us to love one
another.
We have journeying during the Year of
Faith this year, working on deepening our own faith, and then evangelizing others. There is no magical formula to doing this –
it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
It is all part of a process – all part of our journey. Just like Paul and Barnabas, may we see God’s
grace at work in the here and now. Let
us love one another as Christ loved us.
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