Love One Another

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another."

John 13:34 (NRSV)

This morning’s sermon at North Nashville’s Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, titled How’s your Love Life?, challenged the congregation to follow Jesus’ new commandment. The Senior Servant reminded us that this verse appears between a passage about betrayal and one about denial, and he spoke of Christ’s love as being pure. Both the Word and my pastor’s words reminded me of my human frailty, of my inability to love all wholly and unconditionally. It’s not for want of trying, but in every phase of life I’ve been faced with one individual or another whose presence and demeanor, perhaps the way he or she conducted him- or herself around me, left me feeling judgmental—and righteous in that judgement, even though none of us is fit to judge the other. In recent years, sometimes when I’ve wrestled with this aspect of my personality, I’ve discussed it with my mother-in-law—a very wise woman from Memphis, Tennessee, who has seen more in her lifetime that I might hope ever to see. “We all as filthy rags,” she tells me. “It’s in the bible. None of us is fit to judge.” When stumbling over judgmental feelings, I frequently hold her up before myself as an example of how to live, and then I strive to be better.

In church today, our pastor—home after a week of appearances and activities at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session focused on drug policy (Metropolitan Church’s interest being the ways in which drug policies influence the rates of HIV infection)—left us with three points to consider, all central to his work during this past week. (1) Do no harm. Although a given in harm reduction work, policy makers often lose sight of this principle in favor of appeasing constituents and appearing tough on crime. (2) Glorify the Lord. As a tireless faith leader, our pastor gently yet firmly reminds policy makers and others of what is right in the eyes of the Lord. (3) Love radically. That’s a hard one. As a radically-inclusive congregation we seek to be “inclusive of all and alienating to none,” and we are an interesting mix of humanity. While I can welcome you, or anyone, into the church—it’s outside, in my own life, that I stumble.

Lord, give me the strength and discernment to love more fully, more purely, than my human heart would have me love. Amen.