“Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, they will carefully keep my word and my God will love them—we’ll move right into the neighbourhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of God who sent me. (John 14:23-24)
“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom God will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. God will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught. (John 14:25-27)
“You’ve heard me tell you, I’m going away, and I’m coming back.” (John 14:28)
Last week we reflected on adaptation verses transformation. The kind of love Jesus talks about is justice. This morning the discourse continues on love and peace. “Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my God will love them—we’ll move right into the neighbuorhood!”
If Jesus is praying for our oneness then he is also recognising and rejecting the boundaries and differences that divide us. There are divisions within ourselves, our families, our churches, our nation. We live in a world full of divisions – male or female; rich or poor; gay or straight; Christian or Muslim; conservative or liberal; educated or uneducated; young or old; heaven or earth; divine or human; sinner or saved; orthodox or heretic. We could go on and on listing the boundaries that we encounter and all too often establish or promote. They are not just divisions, they have become oppositions. These divisions exist not only out there in the world but primarily and first in the human heart. We project onto the world our fragmented lives.
For every boundary we establish there is a human being. Ultimately, boundaries and differences are not about issues. They are about real people, with names, lives, joys, sorrows, concerns, and needs just like us. I think we sometimes forget or ignore this. It is easier to deal with an issue than a real person.
Whether or not we admit it, the boundaries we establish and enforce are usually done in such a way as to favour us; to make us feel ok, to reassure us that we are right and in control, chosen and desired, seen and recognised, approved of and accepted. In order for me to win someone must lose, in order for me to be included someone must be excluded, otherwise winning and being included mean nothing. The divisions of our lives in some ways become self-perpetuating.
We often deal with the boundaries and differences that divide us by writing agreements, covenants, treaties, and legislation that govern how we will get along with each other and behave in the midst of our differences. But that is not Jesus’ prayer.
Jesus does not pray for our tolerance, our getting along, or just being nice to each other. He does not even pray that our differences would be eliminated. Instead he prays for our oneness. He prays that we would be one as he and the ultimate mystery God are one. So that our oneness would be the revelation of God’s presence to the world. Oneness in the midst of difference becomes a sacramental presence of God’s life in the world.
That does not mean, however, that we lose our identity or individuality. Jesus does not stop being Jesus and God does not stop being the Creator because they are one. Oneness is less about numbers and quantity and more qualitative. Jesus and God are one because they love and give themselves to each other. Oneness is a quality of life – God’s life. Jesus’ prayer for oneness is ultimately that we would be and live like God.
Oneness is not about eliminating differences. It is about love. Love is the only thing that can ever overcomes division. Over and over Jesus tells us that.
- Love God.
- Love your neighbour.
- Love yourself.
- Love your enemy.
Our love for God, neighbour, self, and enemy reveals our oneness, and the measure of our oneness, our God-likeness, is love. In love there may be differences but there is no division.
God loves male and female, rich and poor, gay and straight. God loves Christian and Muslim, conservative and liberal, educated and uneducated. God loves young and old, heaven and earth, divine and human. God loves sinner and saved, orthodox and heretic. All are loved fully, completely, and uniquely as each needs.
God does not even draw boundaries between Jesus and us. If we think God loves Jesus more than anyone else we have missed the point of the Gospel. God loves you the same as God loves Jesus. God loves your neighbour the same as God loves Jesus. God loves your enemy the same as God loves Jesus. If that is how God loves how can we do anything less and still call ourselves Christians?
For far too long we have dealt with each other through our boundaries, differences, and divisions. We can see where that has gotten us. We need only look at the world, read the newspaper, or watch the news. When we deal with others through our divisions we label, do violence, and hunker down to defend our position. There is no oneness in that.
Though Jesus is praying to God, you and I will in large part be the ones to answer Jesus’ prayer. We answer his prayer every time we choose how to love, who to love, where to love. It is time we answer Jesus’ prayer and deal with one another in love. So I wonder, who are the boundaries that await our love?
Then Jesus goes on and says, “Peace I leave with you”.
When we are afraid, when anxiety fear and terror get the better of us, who we are often is lost to us. So what is it that Jesus offers when he says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; but the kind of peace I give you is not like the world’s peace. Don’t let your hearts be distressed; don’t be fearful.” I believe that there can be no peace in the world as long as we are afraid. I also believe that the memory of who we are calms our fears and that this is the only hope we have of ever finding any peace in the world. When I am afraid, I mean really afraid, I often forget who I am. The person that I am is not angry, or greedy, or violent. But given enough anxiety, fear, terror, I will react angrily. Take away the familiar, push me beyond my comfort zone, expose me to strange and foreign ways, and I will become anxious. Threaten me with poverty and my fear of poverty will inspire me to be greedy. Threaten me or the ones I love with violence, and my fear of losing my life or my loved ones will embolden me to resort to violence.
When the ground beneath our feet begins to shift it can cause us to forget who we are and unless we take a deep breath, we might just forget the Spirit that dwells in with and through us.
Our God dwells in the midst of us. If we breathe deeply and feel the rhythm of the one who breathes in us we can begin to remember who we are. Sometimes, when we are confronted with someone who has forgotten who they are, a simple reminder of who they are is enough to help them find their feet again and once they can place their feet firmly upon the ground, they will begin to remember who they are. I am convinced that the peace we so long for in this world will only be realised when we find peace in ourselves. When we are grounded in who and what we were created to be, it quells our fear and we are better able to respond to the fears of others in ways that will help them to remember who they are. Fear is the enemy of peace.
Jesus knew this. Why else was he constantly telling people not to be afraid?
Knowing who we are, will begin to free us from fear and enable us to free others from fear and before we know it peace will be breaking out in, with and through us.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you;
but the kind of peace I give you
is not like the world’s peace.
Don’t let your hearts be distressed;
don’t be fearful.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Remember who you are!
Let peace open you to reminding others who they are.
Let the peace of Christ
Soothe the fears of those you encounter.
Let the love of God calm the fear.
Let the breath of the Spirit
Replace fear with peace.
Now and always.
Amen.