Sister Doreen’s Reflections
Make Yourself At Home In My Love.
“Love one another just as I have loved you, for there is no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.” (John 14:12-13)
We hear over and over again in the lectionary readings during the year, and more especially during Lent about there being no greater love than this, that one lays down one’s life for a friend and that God so loved the world that God gave the one and only Son, …. The message that is part of the gospel passage goes on to tell us that God didn’t do this to point an accusing finger, telling me, you and the world how bad it was, but to help put us and the world right again. Kind of like being picked up, hugged, and then set back down in a new direction – a life-giving new direction. And God, our life-giver invites us to join in this task of putting the world right again, of being participants in the justice and mercy that usher in new life.
Joyce Rupp in her book “Jesus, Companion in My Suffering” wrote: “Laying down one’s life for the sake of love and justice has literally been true for many brave and generous individuals who died for the cause of other people’s welfare. Their giving of life was total and complete. But laying down one’s life can also involve something other than the precious, physical giving way. I ask myself, “who waits for me to contribute what I cherish so that he or she will be positively affected? What part of my life do I most value, and who might be the better for my sharing this? I consider my own time and personal plans to be at the top of the list. I ask myself, ‘how willing am I to give away these treasured gifts for the sake of another, and when is it necessary to do so?”
In today’s world we are surrounded by a very individualistic and self-oriented culture. This does have a great influence on decisions and actions, sometimes without our even realizing how much so. It is good to be reminded repeatedly that we are being called to join God as the giver of life, and that in that giving it opens for us and for others and for the world the possibility of enjoying new life. It is God who says to us repeatedly, “I have come so that you may have life, life in all its fullness”. One of the phrases that Max Lucado uses in several of his books is that “we forget impossible is one of God’s favourite words” and we have heard the words “nothing is impossible for God, nothing is impossible with God”. So, to give ourselves away in some way – to join God as a giver of life, we know that nothing is impossible with God. God loves with an unfailing love and the solution for weariness of soul.
I share the words of a hymn with you. Hymn #701 from the hymn book “Gather”:
“There is no greater love, says the Lord, than to lay down your life for a friend.
There is no greater love, no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.
As God has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love.
You will live in my love if you keep my commands, even as I have kept my God’s.
There is no greater love, says the Lord, than to lay down your life for a friend.
There is no greater love, no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.
All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete.
Love one another as I have loved you: this is my command.
There is no greater love, says the Lord, than to lay down your life for a friend.
There is no greater love, no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.
You are my friends if you keep my commands; no longer slaves but friends to me.
All I have heard from my God; I have made known to you; now I call you friends.
There is no greater love, says the Lord, than to lay down your life for a friend.
There is no greater love, no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.
It was not you who chose me; it was I who chose you, chose you to go forth and bear fruit.
Your fruit must endure, so you will receive all you ask God in my name.
There is no greater love, says the Lord, than to lay down your life for a friend.
There is no greater love, no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.”
Our Life-Giver God does for us what we need a Saviour to do for us, God is a giver and not a taker. God so loved the world – all of us, me and you and the whole world and creation – that “God gave”. Are we ready to come at God’s call, to also be a giver?
Joan Chittister in her book “For Everything a Season” writes: “We are not asked to do more than we can. We are not asked to be someone else. We are simply asked to be ourselves and to do something in our own time that has value. We are asked to profit the world by our existence. We are allowed to be unique, we are not allowed to be useless.”
We have the opportunity to ask ourselves some soul searching questions: “What am I doing and why am I doing it? Who benefits from what I am doing and who does not? What difference is it making in bringing new life to those around me, and to the world?”
There is no greater love, no greater love, than to lay down your life for a friend.
