5th Sunday of easter – 28th April 2013

Love one another… Love one another as I have loved you! I wonder how obedient we are, on a day-to-day basis, to this command of Jesus? It is certainly easy to be obedient to this call with people who share our views, our faith and our culture. And it isn’t too hard to love those who differ from us yet respect our rights and customs. It is easy to love those whom we consider to be “nice” and “good” people … and even the most difficult of our neighbours can be loved at a distance.

But loving one another as Jesus has loved us means loving sacrificially, means loving way beyond our comfort zone. On Wednesday evening one young parishioner raised the issue of the so-called Christian attitude to homosexuals, resulting in vilification and physical abuse. How can this be of Christ? Similarly, the recent Boston bombings have resulted in a resurgence of fear mongering with Christian groups rallying against Moslems – because of the actions of 2 young men.

But, hang on, Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery, he healed Jew and gentile alike, spent time with corrupt tax collectors and reviled Samaritans and, on the cross, he promised a thief “this day you will be with me in paradise!”

Jesus commandment seems beautiful, comfortable and non-threatening and yet, followed according to His call, it is guaranteed to shake us up, spin us around and turn our world upside down.

Blessings

Reverend Shan