Brian’s Reflection: The Weekend, Sat, January 30, 2010

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious
or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist
on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it
does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the
truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13 [Epistle for Epiphany IV C_RCL]


OK. I’ve pushed the line that “Love is what it’s all about” for a few decades now. For humans. For philosophy. For theology. For “God”. And I can’t think how many sermons I’ve written, how many retreats I’ve conducted, how many “Schools of Prayer” I’ve led, on this subject. I’ve said that, if there is anything “special” about the Gospel Message, it is that “God is Love”. And that we humans are “made in God’s image” – i.e., Love. And all this in the face of (a) the failure of people (especially Christians, and myself) to take this seriously and radically, and (b) crushing discouragement that we have advanced 2000 years beyond the proclamation of the Gospel and are yet on the brink of barbarism.

I still believe it that Love is what it is all about.

But it’s understanding what Love IS that’s the real work.

I know why Love doesn’t go down in America. Because real Love – as not perfectly but very soundly characterized by the writer of the 1st Letter to the Christians in Corinth - is about two essential things. One: Deep and anchored self-appreciation and self-understanding. And Two: the honouring of and blessing of and living for the Other – only possible when we as a person are secure and whole, psychologically, “spiritually”, emotionally, physically. Much Religion, Christian and other, has in fact worked against its principles.

It is my opinion that the vast majority of human beings are – for a myriad of reasons – not capable of Love. Certainly as Jesus – as I understand Jesus – was capable of Love. Americans (and there are others) are particularly vulnerable, centered as we are in Individualism. We are, culturally, still too infantile.

Read what 1 Corinthians has to say about Love. Think about what the World’s Great True Lovers have been able to do to heal and bring Peace to the World. Ponder it.

I am recommitting to reconnecting to the “Christ” within me. So I can advance a little in the Path of Love.

Love must never end. Or we are headed to even greater suffering.

Brian+