Faith challenges

Love Lifts Up and Over, If You Let It…

In the First Letter of John, chapter 4, verse 12, it is written:

No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. – 1 John 4:12

While it may be true that no one has ever seen God, Love and the goodness of God can be experienced daily, in any number of ways and through an unlimited number of people, places, and things. Think about a situation that recently brought peace, joy, laughter, gratitude, etc. into your heart. In what direction did you feel motivated as a result?

Think about who and what you love, in both the past and now. In what ways do you feel inspired as you reflect on this?

Tomorrow, October 4, is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. He was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone and is perhaps most widely known for the Prayer of Saint Francis (and inspirational song) – “Make me a channel of your peace/Where there is hatred, let me bring your love…” as well as for being a lover of animals and the inspiration behind the practice of the blessing of animals.

Being born into a wealthy family, St. Francis’ life began in financial and material security. However, rather than a life focused on increasing or holding onto the guarantees that would come with money (status, power, and influence), he chose a journey far more challenging, but one that would lead toward the riches and rewards of a spiritual life—peace.

St. Francis wrote, “It was easy to love God in all that was beautiful. The lessons of deeper knowledge, though, instructed me to embrace God in all things.”

As you imagine embracing God (Love) in all things, what situations come to mind? Where are the places that are easy to carry and exude the love of God that resides within you? Where are the places that present a challenge, causing the light of God within you to diminish, and love to be held back or rebuked?

In the Gospel according to Mark, it is written:

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them. – Mark 10:13-16

Jesus’s example is one of embracing the moment, and all that it holds, with love despite the responses, reactions, or expectations of his disciples and others. With Jesus, everyone is invited… there is room in his heart for everyone.

Now imagine the situations that are easy for you to embrace with love and those that are not, as both belonging to the kingdom of God. What is that like?

Continuing to reflect on these situations, what is most important to you, and how or where does that fit in with your faith as you strive to live by it? Share your thoughts and feelings on this with Jesus. What invitation might Jesus be extending to you?

Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self. – St. Francis of Assisi

Reach…

They started out a neatly organized bouquet of tulips, bulbs closed and standing upright in a vase, but with time, each came into its own. Still tulips though, and called by name, no matter the style or type of display. Some still upright. Some bending, turning, twisting, as if being called toward something else altogether, but again, all still called by name—side by side—together.

More than humane… a compelling lesson for humanity. Nothing new… it is as it has always been. In opening up, reaching out, and stretching toward another… letting go of “other,” change is made. What is true and meaningful, is more than comprehension. When the peace within one’s heart, reaches out, it permeates from soul to soul, and only then, is it about becoming.

Just as he said to the disciples who met him on the road to Emmaus, Jesus says to us, “You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48). As followers of Jesus, what did they do with that?

Fast forward to today… As disciples of Jesus, what do we do with all to which we have become witnesses? How do we stand with both the crucified and risen Jesus?

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

– Matthew 5:1-12

Act Naturally…

John Muir shared the thought that in every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks. Pausing to look at some of the changing leaves and noticing the contrast between them and those already on the ground, I came across another scene. A chipmunk, also pausing, long enough to possibly be considered a companion in an otherwise seemingly empty stretch of woods. A brief, but amusing and uplifting experience, perhaps captured best, for both creatures on this day, in the words of another naturalist, Henry David Thoreau, who wrote, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”   

Reading chapter 22 in the Gospel according to Matthew, the section that contains verses 15-22 starts with, “Then the Pharisees went off and plotted…” The words and the image they conjure, are such a stark contrast to that of my experience in nature, earlier in the day. What a difference a spirit of inclusion, acceptance, respect, and mutual existence might have made back then. What a difference it might make now.

Nature is all around us, and we are part of it. Yet, all this time gone by, still, we fight it. All these years later, still, we resist joining together. Perhaps, one by one, we might learn to be companions to each other, and the plotting will end. Then, maybe… we might see, how foolish we have been.

If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence, we could rise up rooted like trees.
– Rainer Maria Rilke

The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion,
for you do not regard a person’s status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax.”
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”
They replied, “Caesar’s.”
At that he said to them,
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.” – Matthew 22:15-22

Musical inspiration: The King of Love My Shepherd Is