the one that was a kind of love letter

"‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew chapter 5.

Dear brother or sister,
In honor of Valentines Day, I invite you to read this post as a kind of love letter from me to you.  Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth was a love letter. Not the romantic kind.  More like deep familial love.  And that is what this is.  A brother’s love for his siblings.  Dear brothers and sisters,

It snowed here this week.  About a foot more than I wanted, but it’s winter and we should expect weird weather and bigger storms. Science says it’s climate change. It means that we must adapt to new, occasionally harsher conditions. We must adapt.  We are slow to do this.  Until we find that avoidance of adaptation is uncomfortable or dangerous.  This time, it was a nuisance, an inconvenience.  But no more troubling than that. So I’m thankful.  I hope you fared as well. But for some people, climate change has meant real hardship and suffering.  It may be time to think about adaptation.  For them,if not for ourselves.  After all, love changes everything.

What I have to say to you, I say in love. I’m going to give you some attention now. So, I hope you will give me the same. This message is for you and about you.  Jesus is inviting you into a conversation or maybe a confrontation with yourself. Because he knows the human heart.  He knows what we’re thinking.  He knows our inner selves.  I think its interesting how addicted people have become to the selfie---the outer image captured on camera.  Me, as I see me.  Or me as I hope you will see me.  I can’t take a selfie. It never comes out right.   I wonder what that means?  Image has become so important.  But action matters.  What we do.  Not how we look.  You are capable of so many things. You have power, the ability to act.  How you use your power is important. Benign or malignant.  Virtuous or vicious. Your actions have consequences.   

Anger, lust, aggression, avoidance, intolerance, greed. Where did you see or experience these vices this week?  I don’t consider myself a virtuous person and I can see how I managed to practice a few of these vices in the past week.  I can also say that I have come to church with feelings of anger, resentment, or disappointment in my heart because of a way I was treated or how I treated someone else.  And I can honestly say, I have failed to seek reconciliation and forgiveness with some people.  Because it's hard to do this.  It’s hard to go to someone and say, you hurt me.  Or I’m sorry that I hurt you.  And we wound or are wounded as much by what we fail to do or say.  We don’t even know what we have done.  And sometimes we project our own issues of anger, disappointment, fear, or self-doubt onto others. Confession may be good for the soul but hard for the ego. We prefer to forget, deny, or avoid. We bury pain, especially the emotional kind.  The kind that comes back at the wrong times.  You know, years later you find yourself yelling at your kids, sounding like your father or mother, growing guilt. And I think, we can do better than this. Some may disagree here. BUt I find the insistence that flawed human nature (Sin) must be accepted as irreversible to be so dismal and hopeless that I can't bear it. We are flawed, broken, sinners.  Sure. But is that an excuse? Repentance without the hope of amendment of life is hollow groveling. We can do better.            

Authentic Christian community is hard to practice, hard to make.   When non-Christians are asked what they think of Christians they say we are judgmental, hypocritical, and irrelevant.  We are negatively critical of others; what we say and how we live are inconsistent; what we say and do is antiquated and has little effect on the complexity of modern life.  Our actions and words do not align with Christians beliefs.  Christians are viewed as too political, polarizing, and narrow-minded. When I hear this, read this, and repeat it, I wonder who these Christians are.  I know Christians are also generous, compassionate, and engaged in important work right now.  I am part of it.  Sometimes. 

Now a little church like this one is seen as a place where people come for help.  We helped with food, clothing, rent, gasoline, job searching, transitional housing.  All in a week.  Help is good, but it is limited. And often fails to deal with the heart of any matter. 

Matthew’s Jesus calls out followers who will practice a serious discipline in their relationships.  Anger, lust, violent retribution, violent resistance, denying others access. These are all ways that we protect ourselves at the expense of someone else. It’s not murder or infidelity, but it may as well be.  

Matthew’s Jesus proposes church as a community of moral deliberation.  That means we ask ourselves, "What does it mean to live in the kingdom of heaven?"  Which is Matthew’s way of saying, "the kingdom of God."  Which is Mark’s and Luke’s way of saying "eternal life".  Which was John’s way of saying “Life in the age to come.”  Which is to say, “Life as God created and intends it to be for all of humankind.”  Life after sin and death are ultimately destroyed as the powers at work in the world, distorting and discoloring God’s imagination for a world of love and peace.  A Christian community practices moral deliberation.  We ask, what is right?  And how do we practice this rightness in our everyday situation, following the example of Jesus? What is right now and always?  For us? For everyone?  What is the common good?    

To be right is not to condemn those who are wrong.  Love does not condemn. Love encourages.  Love invites and models. Love mentors. Love goes further, gives extra, and sees what’s behind the selfie. Love holds in highest regard, esteems, and honors.  We are called to love.  God. Self. Neighbor. Up, in, out.  These three relationships are essential to being human. We must practice all three loves to be a Christian community.  We will stumble. But love corrects, forgives, and moves on. Listening is the first power of love.  To listen is to pay attention more deeply. That is how we begin. So this week. Show love three ways:  Pay attention to God. Pay attention to yourself.  Pay attention to someone else. Last night, I had an unexpected conversation with my youngest brother.  I can’t tell you the last time he called my house.  It’s been years.  We speak twice a year, briefly, at my parents.  When he called, I figured he needed something.  Instead, he was calling to reconcile.  To set some things right.  His own life.  His life as a child of God, his life as a brother.  I was blown away. He started asking me questions about religion and faith.  But the conversation became personal.  I affirmed that he is always a child of God, has been all his life, and always will be. He is struggling.  He is likely an alcoholic.  But he is my brother.  And love does not condemn.  It heals.  And serves.  And accompanies.  And graciously forgives.  

Reconciliation is possible.  Amendment of life is possible.  It requires the strength of love that comes from genuine relationships of compassion with a lot of hope. Because People matter. 

Christians are not self-righteous moralizers, who judge and condemn others for their bad behavior while hiding their own evil intentions.  Christians are people striving to demonstrate Christ's love.  A love that sets things right. May you experience that love in your life and show it to others.
So, I am anticipating the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Are you?  I love all the change it brings.  
`With love, me.