love one another

John 13:31-35

At the last supper, when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."


Why do we get this so wrong? Are you aware of the despicable antics of the Westboro Baptist Church? It's only fair that I confess my own difficulty in loving people like the members of the WBC. Yet it is exactly that to which we are called. It's easy to love loving people. The challenge is to love those who repel us; those who hate us; those who make it their aim to cause us harm. I'm not saying we shouldn't fight them with all our might, but perhaps it is the beginning of love to NOT resort to their tactics. If we fight hatred with love, "...everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." I'm not naïve, I know this seems a most impossible task. I like Mother Theresa's saying that a smile is the beginning of love. Maybe that's a way to start.

I dislike driving immensely. Few other parts of our daily routine bring to the fore the selfishness, recklessness and discourtesy of others. It's a good thing I'm usually alone behind the wheel; because I cuss like the proverbial drunken sailor. I'm not proud of this behavior, but I am truly my father's son when it comes to temper and the use of profanity. One day last week, after an especially vitriolic outburst, I thought of conducting an experiment. Instead of cursing offending motorists, I simply said God bless every time someone trespassed against the laws of the road. I was surprised that after a while, my mood had lightened and my blood pressure fell. I discovered that by responding to the inappropriate behavior of others with a wish for their wellbeing, my own wellbeing was served. I know this is a silly little example, but it made me think that other aspects of life might be similarly impacted.

Perhaps, by so doing (making the effort to be more loving) we get closer to the place Jesus told the disciples "you cannot come." A place of calm, peace and yes, love.