Tuesday, May 18, 2021
What Love Is
If ever we lie awake on a painful night, if ever we begin to think that the story of the Christ is amazing but untrue, if ever we find ourselves alone in a crowd of people, we might turn to this anthem of love. For this is how much we are loved.
If ever we lose strength, if ever we falter a bit or lose heart, we return to this song of certainty in a world full of doubt. This is how one who walked with the Christ attempts to set down the story for those of us who follow centuries later.
If ever we see too much darkness around us, too much to overcome, too much to survive, we look for God in these images of light and truth and hope and certainty. This is how much Jesus stirred those whom he touched. And this is how much he loves us still.
We can still share a meal with him as we break Eucharist and take from the Cup.
We can still feel his human presence in every face we meet every day.
We can still feel his reassuring hand when a fellow pilgrim touches us in an authentic gesture of love.
In this world full of downs and ups, sorrow and joy, darkness and light, the darkness touches us not because he is with us in every solitary day, at any lonely moment. We are not alone. We have only to turn to John’s words to read them carefully . . . to look into the face that saves the world.
Tomorrow, a prayer to love.
Adapted from a reflection written on August 3, 2008.
Image from: https://www.holytextures.com/2011/12/john-1-43-51-year-b-epiphany-2-january-14-january-20-sermon.html
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