Cheryl asked that we read from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 in honour and memory of her mother Connie.
The reading is fantastically appropriate - Paul's letters are seldom written to individuals; they are written to communities and from the little I know about Connie, one thing I am certain of, is that community meant a lot to her.
Until a couple of weeks before her death, although she struggled to communicate, and was obviously uncomfortable – she insisted on being brought to church, to be with the community she loved. Snow, rain or shine (Cheryl said that it seemed that God favoured her: One rainy day it ceased when it came time to make the transfer from car to wheelchair to church.)
She had the community rallying around her to get her to church and home. And I don't think she would very easily have taken "No" for an answer.
Once here she made sure to be a blessing to us, grabbing one's hand and saying: "You've made my day", saying it a couple of times – just to make sure you knew that she valued you and what you did for her.
* * *
St Paul writes to a community divided, divided by all sorts of things; Theological or doctrinal division, sexual immorality, legal disputes, marriage, idolatry; even something about hairstyles…
The church he writes to has become a place in which the binding force of love is conspicuously absent.
People are constantly looking for reasons not to love each other, rather than for reasons to love each other.
I don't know why we do it – I guess we've learned to be lazy… We look for excuses not to love people, because when you love people – you have to make sacrifices for them, you have to be patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, humble, polite, generous… a whole lot of things that anyone with any experience in life knows are difficult to do.
* * *
The lack of love problem is not unique to Christian communities like the one at Corinth (to whom Paul writes); it is universal: You will find it in government, in business, in neighbourhoods, bridge clubs, book clubs, golf clubs, vineyards, old age homes, hospitals, monasteries, churches, Bible study groups… and on and on and on…
Because loving others is just too costly.
* * *
In Jesus Christ, the true cost of love is made known to us. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the week ahead is Holy Week, on Friday, we remember Christ's crucifixion.
According to John's gospel (15:12b-13) Jesus commands his disciples:
His command anticipates the way in which he will die… making known God's scandalous love to all people on the cross. These are words of mercy reminding us that we are loved by God.
Reminding us that because of the cross of Christ and his resurrection we can be assured of God's grace and love for Connie, and even for ourselves if we choose to accept it.
But they are also words of challenge, Jesus tells us humans to love one another as he has loved us… sacrificially; putting our lives second for Jesus' sake.
* * *
I believe that the kind of love Jesus speaks about, the kind of love which Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians 13 is exactly what each of us were created for. We were created in the image of God in order to give and receive love.
Connie was created for that love, you were created for that love, I was created for that love… and until we learn to give and receive that kind of love we will always feel a bit like we're not ourselves.
We'll always feel a bit like we're not being the people we were created to be or experiencing the life we were created to live.
Like wearing a shirt that's not cut the right shape, or maybe is a little too small; we'll feel like we're not at home.
* * *
The final verses of 1 Corinthians 13 offer us immense hope.
Few of us, although we desperately want and need to be loved and to love perfectly, ever experience that kind of love. We grasp it maybe for a moment here and there…
In this life few of us could love Connie perfectly; although I am sure many came as close as they could, and just like you and I, I am sure she was frustrated by not being able to love others perfectly…
But in verse 12 Paul writes; speaking of loving and being loved:
* * *
Today Connie knows the perfect love for which she was created… our feeble attempts at love are overcome by the perfect love of Christ… with whom (in a sense) she is now truly home.
You who were touched by her life – and who touched her life; take something of that love away from here with you. Perhaps its in the way you tend your garden and allow others to enjoy it's beauty, maybe in the way you cook and allow others to experience your generosity… maybe its in the fact that you let people know, in all sincerity and without hypocrisy, expecting nothing in return that they have made your day.
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