Love and Hate

1 John 4:7-21
Like many of you, I’ve been reading news reports about the bombing in Boston on April 15, 2013. While the news is tragic and heartbreaking, I have been disappointed as well by comments left on various websites concerning the role of religion or politics in the event, even though no suspect or motive have been identified. As people of faith, we must take seriously the charges being leveled against us: that we are led to violence by our God; that our faith is one of hate and vengeance which––as one writer claimed––has overseen far more deaths than were caused by Hitler and Stalin combined; that were there no religions the world would be a better place. We need to hear these words not as truth, but as assumptions too often based on the acts of those who claim they believe in the God of Jesus Christ.

And when we have heard these words, we need to read from our epistle lesson for today: “We love because [God] first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” (1 John 4:19-21). Granted, to some these are just words on a page which is why we must learn to share God’s love unambiguously and without qualification. We must let the world know, to the best of our abilities, that God is love and that it is because of God that we are capable of showing love for one another even in the face of greatest evil.

One glimmer of hope to appear in the midst of yesterday’s turmoil is the renewed use of a quote from Fred Rogers, a man of faith who dedicated his life to enriching the lives of children. His mother’s advice to “look for the helpers” in scary times has resonated with many. You can find the original video of this quote at:

http://pbskids.org/rogers/parentsteachers/special/scarynews.html?guid=5dcfab82-485d-40e4-b398-6a8ed4eae64e

Rogers is not claiming that all helpers are people of faith, simply that there are always those who will show compassion in times of distress. Our job, as Christians, is to make sure that we are among the helpers, those who renounce acts of violence to embrace ministries of hope and reconciliation. This may not lead others to share our faith, but it will serve the will of a loving God and will help to push back the darkness of evil with the light of life.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for all those who are victims of violence and ask your peace to be upon all people this day, in Boston and around the world, so that all may enjoy your gift of abundant life, now and forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

"Love Will Keep Us Together"

1 John 4:7-21

In the summer of 1975 the musical act Captain and Tennille released their cover of a Neil Sedaka song, “Love Will Keep Us Together.” The song was the number one hit of the year. The author of 1 John might not have appreciated the comparison, but I thought of the song as I reflected on our readings for today. “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 John 4:16b), we read. In other words, it is in love that we are united in God. If we are to exist as a community it must be with love for our brothers and sisters. Love alone – God’s love – can and will keep us together. The emphasis of the passage is on the source of love. In its truest form love is a gift from God. The author of this passage does little to define love except to contrast it with hate. But it is clear that where hate dismembers, love builds up, and this “building up” is what God wills.

Perhaps it is left to Paul to more fully define love as he does in 1 Corinthians 13. There the demands of love are made clear: patience, kindness, endurance, forbearance, etc. This is the love demonstrated in the life and death of Jesus Christ. This is what God desires from God’s people. To do otherwise is to separate ourselves from those around us and, more importantly, from what God is about in the world because “God is love….” Captain and Tennille may not have been thinking about 1 John 4:16 when they recorded their hit, but I suspect that whenever I hear that song in the future I will regard it differently, as a reminder of what God wishes from me and from you.

Prayer: Help us to love one another, O God, just as you love us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.