Sixth Sunday of Easter: The Love and Peace of The Risen Christ

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 16: 9-15 (NRSV)

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.

Psalm 67 (BCP, p.675)


Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 (NRSV)

In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

John 14:23-29 (NRSV)

Jesus said to Judas (not Iscariot), "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, `I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe."

Blog Reflection

I think all of us can pray Psalm 67 with some sincere pleading.  We need God to bless us with saving health for all nations.  The election campaigns, the anti-transgender bathroom bills, the racism, the experiences of those who rely on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid hearing politicians and business executives wanting to privatize them; tell us a lot about what is a priority these days.

Jesus is telling us to not let our hearts be troubled.  He also tells us to love Him and keep His word so that God can make a home in us.  Jesus promises the Holy Spirit who will remind us of what Jesus told us, and He offers us peace to be left with us.  So many tidbits, but a lot to meditate on.

Philip Heinze in Living the Lectionary wrote,

the peace that precedes the “do not let…” is not put on a happy face and the whole world smiles with you because the sun will come up tomorrow bet your bottom dollar solution to real life strife. In the same way, “believe in me” does not mean just get over it. Nor does it minimize trouble because it could be worse even if it clearly could be. That would be worldly peace. The peace of the world is temporary and illusionary as it denies sorrow, medicates pain with costly pleasure, or seeks solace by seeing to it that other hearts are equally troubled. The peace that Jesus gives embraces suffering and dies to destroy the power of death. Called to cling to the cross by which Jesus overcomes the world, and all the trouble in it, the people of Jesus’ peace believe that trouble is temporary while peace is eternal. 

It is difficult not to notice that at the very top of the Medal of Saint Benedict is the word Pax.  In case I have readers who have never read or heard that word, it is Latin for peace.  At the entrances of many Benedictine Monasteries in Europe are the words "Pax intrantibus", meaning "Peace be with all who enter here."  It is the same peace that Jesus offers.  A peace that embraces us in any and all situations of our lives, and draws us closer to God and each other.  It is that "peace which is beyond all understanding" that we can only lose if we give it over to something or someone willingly that brings us temporary pleasure in our false-sense of self; but deprives us of the Holy Spirit who longs to united us with our true selves.

Keeping the word of Jesus is not limited to Jesus alone.  It is the love of God that is not limited to human labels, our brokenness we inflict on each other and ourselves.  It is a love and a peace that invite us to listen to what Jesus is saying to us as we receive Him in the guest, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring us healing and reconciliation with those who are different from ourselves.    

I am having a very difficult year with many losses.  More than I can write about in greater detail.  I am experiencing emotions that are all over the place.  My Asperger's and many of my other personal challenges can make things pretty intense.  In the middle of all this, God has placed in my life two amazing individuals who understand me, and are helping me to just feel everything with no judgments or expectations.  They are loving me as I am, and making room for me be very kind and gentle with myself and provide a safe place for me in my grief.  They are determined to help me love God as others love me with that same love, and to search for peace at a time when it can be very difficult to feel let alone find.

I believe that what I have just described above is a great example of the love and peace the Risen Christ gives us through our Advocate, the Holy Spirit.  It is the love and peace we share with each other when life is cruel and harsh on ourselves and others beyond us.  Our Baptismal Vows call us to strive for this peace with justice and to uphold the dignity of every human person; regardless of who they are or what condition their lives are in.  In so doing God makes a home with us, and our home is made with God in this life and in the life to come.

Amen.


Prayers

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good
things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such
love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above
all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 225).

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right
judgements, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that
peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be
fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered
from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness;
through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.  (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 123).