Walking in Love

The other day I was singing with the children:

“We are one in the Spirit,

We are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit,

We are one in the Lord,

And they’ll know we are Christians

by our love, by our love

And they’ll know we are Christians

By our love.”

 

“Mom,” said F, “We’re Christians.”

“Really?” I said, “How do you know?”

“Because, Mom, I love you.”

Simple isn’t it? I know of course that he needs to understand this a little more, but isn’t he right? Isn’t it that just simply? If we have love for God, then we will love each other. And not just other Christians, but our neighbors, whoever and where ever they are.

What is this love then?

In the Episcopalian service the priest says this before the offering is taken up:

“Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. ” (based on Ephesians 5:2)

The prime example is of course Christ who gave himself as an offering and sacrifice for those who were in many ways completely other than himself. Do those around us see such Christ-love in us? Do we, do I pour myself out in serving others, as a thank-offering to God?

You know it’s funny the difference in the way I love W and the way I love the others. Some of it I’m sure is just that he is an amazingly affectionate child, who is nearly always happy for a cuddle or hug. Some of it though I am sure is caused by his being so ill when he was an infant and the gratitude of my heart that he is here for me to cuddle. I hold him and I think about how he was at three months and how I almost couldn’t hold him because of the IV lines and monitors and holding him is more to me.

How do I love the others the same way? How do I make them feel that I rejoice in them? Do I see the ways in which the things that drive me nuts on a daily basis are also the things that make me love them?

F– so rule bound, wanting his routine and being very upset when something changes because he always remembers how we did it before even if we only did it once six months ago. We clash, because doing things exactly the same way every time is just not how my brain operates. BUT I also rely on him for just that steady, responsible memory. How many times a day do I say “F remind me…” and he remembers and reminds me? How many times do i trust him to look after his siblings because I know he will notice if something is strange or not safe? Do I let him know how much I’m going to miss him when he goes to preschool in the fall? Is my love helping him to better use his gift?

and Su-my lover of beauty, who is distracted by everything because she’s always noticing…who drives me nuts at chore time because she can’t help stopping to look at everything and see what everyone else is doing..but who makes me stop and notice too… I often fuss about her ability to be distracted but do I also love her in such a way that she values and channels her ability to see?

S too can make me crazy with his slowness to decide to change something in our lives, but I need that steadiness or we would never settle into anything..how do I love him?

This is sacrificial love and it’s hard. Loving people for who they are rather than who I imagine I want them to be…I often fail at this work..let me walk in Christ’s love today.

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One Response to Walking in Love

  1. K_Steinmann says:

    Shall we pray this for each other? Bearing one another’s burdens as it were…K

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