Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35
The Reverend Paul D. Allick, St. George’s Episcopal Church, May 2, 2010

 

 

Recently I served in a funeral liturgy where three bishops were present. Two of them I have known for quite some time. At the passing of the peace I embraced the first one and said, “God bless you.” He responded, “I love you, too.” That was strange. How did he hear, “I love you.” when what I said was, “God bless you.” Then the next bishop embraced me. Again, I said, “God bless you.” He responded, “I love you, too.”

 

 

What was going on? Why was this response making me uncomfortable? Was it too familiar? Was it too informal with a bishop? But the fact is that I do love these two men but I would probably never say it. I am not one to get too familiar. To say I love you means that I am giving something away to you. Am I prepared to live up to loving you? Maybe I just want to continue liking you a lot.

 

 

But which is easier to say, “I love you” or “God bless you”? Really they are the same thing. Today in the Gospel Jesus instructs us to love one another as he loves us. He says that people will know that we are his disciples if we have love for each other. Isn’t that interesting. He doesn’t say that people will know we are his disciples if we are exceedingly righteous or perfect but that we have love for each other.

 

 

The kind of love Jesus is talking about isn’t the kind of love we are used to. All human love comes with conditions. Even with those we are most in love with we always have conditions. We say, “I love you but you are driving me crazy” or “I love you but you are so wrong” or “I love you but am more interested in my own needs right now.”

 

 

We struggle to love each other. But isn’t it amazing that when we really do love someone we can look past all that other stuff? When we transcend our own desires and hang-ups to love another then we are tasting the kind of love Jesus is talking about.

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus is teaching us about divine love. Divine love has no limitations or conditions. Divine love is the unconditional affection Jesus has for God and God has for Jesus. This love is poured forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. God is a Trinity of Persons in perfect loving relationship with each other. So much so that they are completely one.  God is a relationship of unlimited love.

 

 

This is why it must be the same to say, “God bless you” as to say, “I love you.”

 

 

Divine love calls us beyond the ordinary to the profound. It is the kind of love that called St. Peter to realize that all people could share with him in the love of God without conditions. Peter didn’t have to be afraid of people anymore. He could go to the Gentiles and eat with them.

 

 

Peter broke free from his need to categorize others by race and religion and learned to love without distinction. When the three Gentiles arrive Peter recalls, “The Spirit told me to go with them and not make distinction between them and us.”

 

 

The idea of a “Them” and a “Us” is the greatest obstacle to divine love. In divine love there is no “them” there is only “us.” We humans are haunted and kept prisoner by all of the perceived “thems” among us. I have all kinds of “thems.” These are people who think, act, and look differently from me. I can pride myself on being open minded all day long but deep down I am surrounded by “thems.”

 

 

 

St. Francis de Sales wrote about the kind of love God has for us in his 17^th century classic, “Introduction to the Devout Life.” “Even before our Lord Jesus Christ became man and suffered on the cross for you, His Divine Majesty designed your existence and loved you.” St. Francis explains that God began to love you when he became God, “and that was never, for he ever was, without beginning and without end.” (pp.237-238)

 

 

 

 

God’s love is eternal. Human love is temporal. God’s love is glorified in humility; in the giving of the self for others. Human love is random.

 

It is given when we can and taken back when we are hurt or annoyed.

 

 

Today Jesus says that he will be glorified as Judas departs to betray him and the events of his execution are set in motion. How on earth can this be called glorification? It can’t be seen as that on earth but in the kingdom it is understood. God is glorified in Christ by giving his entire being to us so that we can live. The glory of the resurrection, both that of Christ and our own, is dependent on the unconditional love Christ shows on the cross.

 

 

Christ is utterly devoted to God. Christ loves God so much that the love is transformed into adoration, devotion and worship.

 

 

St. Francis de Sales explains it this way: Human love is good. It leads to charity among us. Human love is a fire in us. But Divine love fans that flame. Divine love leads us beyond being nice and good to being in complete adoration of love itself. Human love finds its fulfillment in devotion to God. (pp.4-5)

 

 

So let me close by saying to each and everyone of you: whether we are alike, whether we agree on everything, whether we value the same things, “I love you. God bless you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference: Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

 

                  Vintage Spiritual Classics, Random House 2002