Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.
Indeed, even though there may be socalled gods in heaven or on earth in fact there are many gods and many lords , yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
As I have been reflecting today on all the news surrounding the lesbian and gay couples who have just been married in Washington, DC and all the controversy over marriage equality, I was struck by the words from 1 Corinthians 8: 1b. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." People who seem to think that they know that real marriage is only between one man and one woman are all puffed up, yet seeing all of the wonderful loving same sex couples exchanging vows and celebrating the love that has been building up in them for so long, to finally reach the day on which they are able to commit to each other openly and have it recognized by Washington, DC. What a wonderful tribute to their devotion to each other, and all of them have seen the rewards of their hard work.
Then I think about the following words: "Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by God." This is an affirmation that we all really know nothing if we do not know God's love. For if we love God, we are known by God. Love is the evidence of something beyond ourselves. Love is the great gift that God has given all of us, yet it is something that none of us can hold completely for ourselves. LGBT individuals like all people are not given that special gift of being able to love people of the same sex and/or wanting to experience the change of their gender without the love of God being the driving force behind it all. If God's love were not involved in some way, shape or form, then eventually the LGBT community with all of it's drive toward equality would surely disappear. But we have so not disappeared. Our movement and our purpose are ever more being driven forward and we are achieving great things. This driving force of love is coming from some where, some one beyond ourselves.
As we continue this walk through Lent, we recall that the Cross is where unconditional love is the one unifying sign above all things that happened there. At the Cross, God reached out to all human kind, even the thief that was dying along with Christ was given dignity and grace. Women were among Christ's greatest companions in his moment of torture and death. The Centurion who's servant Jesus had healed stood by, and though he was unusual to others around him, he still believed that Jesus was the Son of God. While all others denied and wondered about the man named Jesus, the Centurion believed with unwavering faith. At the Cross, everyone who wanted salvation, love and grace found it and through Christ we experience not only death of our old selves, but are raised again, renewed in the power of the Holy Spirit.
May our love for God, help us to be truly known by God and all who seek salvation and hope.
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Third Sunday of Lent, BCP, Page 218).
No comments:
Post a Comment