“Love One Another” by Jim Bayne

“Love One Another” by Jim Bayne

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation, whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” Then while Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. (Acts 10:34-35, 44)

Beloved, let us love one another because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John: 4:7-8)

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. (John 15:11-12)

Piety

Lord, when you created humankind, you made one race, the human race. Help us ever be aware that we are all brothers and sisters, created in your image and likeness. Open our eyes to see you in one another. Deepen our love for you so that others may more easily see you in us.

Study

At the beginning of chapter 10 of Acts, Cornelius, the righteous Centurion, has a vision directing him to contact Peter. At the same time, Peter has a vision leading him to respond to the call of Cornelius. When the two meet, Cornelius tells Peter of his faith in God and recounts his vision.  Cornelius was instructed to ask Peter to come.

Peter responds, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.”  As if to punctuate that message, while Peter is speaking to the large group assembled in Cornelius’s house, the Holy Spirit descends on all of them.

Yet, despite this auspicious beginning, we still have difficulty accepting people who are different from ourselves.

This problem appears to have been first articulated by Aristotle. He seems to be the first one who decided that some races were superior to others. Humanity has never been able to shake this belief. Such misconceptions must explain why God needed to use heavenly visions to bring Cornelius and Peter together. Only when God united the two men could they hear and understand the real message: “Love One Another as I have loved you.” Neither was going to come together on their own. Neither was going to understand the message until they had met and established a relationship.

And here we are in the 21^st century, still struggling to accept one another as brothers and sisters. We’re still uneasy about getting to know people who are different from ourselves. Fear of “The Other” remains a driving force in all cultures. It keeps us from reaching out to one another and learning that differences make each of us more prosperous.

Mother Teresa said it very well:

Whether Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian, how you live your life is proof that you are or are not fully His. We cannot condemn or judge or pass words that will hurt people.  We don’t know in what way God is appearing to that soul and what God is drawing that soul to; therefore, who are we to condemn anybody?

Pope Francis says, “if a person is attempting to live a good life, who am I to judge?”

For the past 25 years, I have been going monthly to a maximum-security prison to spend time with the residents. I have gotten to know and become friends with African American, Hispanic, and White men I would probably have never met in another environment. I have heard their stories of abuse, neglect, poverty, lack of educational opportunity, etc. These have all been factors in their incarceration.

As a result of getting to know them, I have come to see and accept them as my brothers in Christ. Each man has enriched my life and given me a better understanding of Christ. They have been some of the greatest blessings in my life. They have told me that I have been a blessing in their lives, too. So, it has been a win-win endeavor. I have come to understand why it is so important that we follow Jesus’ strong message to us: Love One Another as I Have Loved You.

Action

While I was half asleep in bed, reflecting on these readings, I saw the image of a man in a body harness, hanging in the air, clinging desperately to the corpus of Jesus on a large crucifix hanging in a church. An unseen force was pulling on the harness, trying to pull the man away from the crucifix. Then I heard a voice saying, “Don’t cling to me in this statue, cling to the real me that exists in all your brothers and sisters! How many times must I tell you, ‘Love One Another as I Have Loved You!’”

How often does Satan tempt us to cling to the image of Christ, which cannot respond while ignoring or being afraid of the real Christ present in one another, waiting to share his love in person?

This week, reach out and “Make a Friend” of someone who is different from you or someone you would just as soon ignore.