Love One Another

Seems pretty easy.  Love one another.  Why is it so hard?  Why do we not do a good job of this loving one another?

Those of you who know me may have heard me say before, that I think religion is really pretty easy.  I boil it down to two commandments.  We call it the Summary of the Law.  It begins our Rite I Service of Holy Eucharist, the words may be familiar to you especially if you have a been in the Episcopal Church a long time or worship in Rite I parishes.

Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  Sound familiar?  It no longer begins our Rite II service, only Rite I (traditional language), but it does still begin the Eucharist in the Church of England Book of Common Worship.

That’s it!  Love God and love your neighbor. We are done!  Except that so often we don’t do it so very well.  Why is that?  I might suggest that it is our history, our traditions, our being oh so human…

But also if you think about it, perhaps our Holy Scriptures.  The Old Testament and the New Testament are decidedly different.  The God of the Old Testament is more judgmental and wrathful and there are lots of commandments.  Of course we know the Ten Commandments, but don’t forget all the other rules and regulations.  The book of Leviticus contains 251 laws, some positive requiring action, love and honor God; some negative prohibiting certain activities, especially dietary restrictions or rules about sexual relations.  And that is just Leviticus.  Scholars count a total of 613 laws in the Old Testament.  One can’t even keep track of all of them.

On the other hand, in the New Testament Jesus is pretty simple.  He minimizes the laws, upbraids the scribes and Pharisees for their detailed attention to the laws, and most of all just shows us how to love.  He doesn’t give a lot of rules and regulations.  ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love….This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ 

Jesus shows that with his actions and movements.  Think of the times when Jesus welcomes someone, gathers groups together for meals — at the house of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law; breakfast on the beach on the Road to Emmaus; at the house of Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus has died; the feeding of the five thousand; at the institution of the Eucharist and the Last Supper.  Or consider the times when he embraces and welcomes the ‘other’ — calling Zacchaeus, the tax collector out of the tree; the woman caught in the act of adultery, ‘let anyone without sin cast the first stone’; dinner with Mary Magdalene, ‘those who are well do not have need of a doctor but rather those who are ill’.  In his words, and even more so in his actions, Jesus is welcoming and loving to all: the good people, his disciples and others, and those considered by the world to be different, not accepted.

I wonder what Jesus’ words to us today would be?  They probably would not be the 613 laws of the Old Testament but  rather his take on unconditional love and acceptance.  I suspect, that translated into 21st century life, Jesus would be welcoming to conservatives and liberals, to left and right, definitely to refugees and immigrants, to straights, gays, and trans.  To people who dress differently from us.  Remember that Jesus called out bad behaviors, but not bad people.  To the woman caught in the act of adultery he said, ‘go and sin no more,’  but didn’t treat her as a person any differently.  Jesus’ actions are loving, welcoming and embracing.  That’s what God has given us in the person of Jesus Christ.  And that is what the world is looking for I believe.

‘As the Father has loved me so I have loved you; abide in my love.’

I had a very interesting experience this week that I want to tell you about it.  I arrived here a week ago Friday.  Saturday was busy settling in and preparing for Sunday services.  Thank you all for welcoming me so very warmly.  A busy few first days — Sunday I celebrated Eucharist at both the 1030 and 1200 noon services.  Monday morning we had parish staff meeting and Monday afternoon there was a big event at The Anglican Centre; quite an event. 

The Primates of the Anglican Communion, the heads of the Anglican Church around the world were meeting here in Rome last week.  While not perfectly in harmony, despite major differences in theology, politics, and practice, they gather every two years to reune, work, pray, promote ecumenism with the other faiths, and to eat and celebrate Eucharist together.  This year’s meeting was being launched with  a service of Vespers chanted by the monks at the Basilica of St. Paul’s outside the Walls, with a Cardinal officiating and preaching.  A lovely ecumenical and welcoming homily I might say.  That was followed by a reception with speeches and dinner at the Anglican Centre.  I was invited to represent St. Paul’s within the Walls.  Quite an event and very high end: three Cardinals, 28 archbishops in the their purple cassocks and many others, supporters of the Anglican Centre, and some of you here today.

In the invitation I was informed that is was essentially ‘clergy formal’ attire so I put on my fancy cassock with the red trim button holes and magenta sash, our Episcopal/Anglican tradition for such an event.  The event was great, inspiring, and much good work is being done, along with progress in our discussions with our Roman Catholic brethren.

But that is not what I want to tell you about.  Since I tend to eat very light at such an occasion, it’s hard to meet and greet people with a plate and a glass of wine in your hand, afterward I stopped in to one of my favorite Rome restaurants very close to the Anglican Centre.  In that I have eaten there many times during my years in Rome they know me well, ‘family’ sort of, and welcomed me warmly, though I was unusually dressed in formal cassock.  A great light late dinner, and then I began the walk back to St. Paul’s dressed in all the finery.  I must say I was a bit uncomfortable at first, though such sights are not that unusual in Rome.  But to see a priest dressed thus walking through the piazza in front of the Pantheon and then down the side streets, at that hour, is a bit unusual.  However, on the street I was greeted with warmth and smiles and waves and hellos, which I eagerly exchanged!

I try to be a warm and friendly face and say hello to people and the number of times that night that I exchanged ‘Buona sera’  and big smiles with people on the street was amazing.  They seemed glad to see a priest so adorned, out and among the people late at night.  Much joy and love was exchanged.

And then, walking along I came upon a street musician.  A very talented young man playing an electronic violin with an amplifier.  He was playing very well, at significant volume and had a crowd of about 75-100 people in a circle thoroughly enjoying his excellent artistry.  He had a smile and a captivating way about him that had the crowd enthralled.  I probably stood there for 15 or 20 minutes, totally enjoying!  Although I was a little taken aback when he saw me in the crowd and acknowledged me with a ‘Buona sera Padre!’ 

There was an energy and an enthusiasm and a love in the crowd that was palpable.  People smiling and swaying and dancing and hugging.  Children dancing to the rhythm.  All God’s children: the panoply of visitors to Rome — whites and blacks and browns, women covered in hijabs and face coverings, young and old, from so many nations.  A couple in their forties dancing kind of rock.  People clapping and swaying and singing along…  Smiling, embracing.

They weren’t sure who I was but knew I was a person religious, and some sort of priest.  A couple asked me if I were a Cardinal or Bishop or what.  No!….  And they engaged me.

As I left to continue my walk home, I went forward into the  circle to drop a donation into the  basket of the very talented young man performing on his acoustic electronic violin.  He approached me, thanked me and I thanked him for his music, and gave him a blessing.  The crowd roared and applauded.  There was such a feeling of people abiding in God’s love on the streets of Rome at past midnight. 

And as I continued to walk back  I had numerous other people stop me and ask for a blessing, a photo together, or tell me their story.  People form all around the world.  I spoke in my halting Italian, my native English, and comfortably in Spanish to people from Cuba and Bolivia.  Indeed it was a night of living into John 17 — that we all may be one.  There were no divisions. 

People were feeling the love of God and I was blessedly able to be a vehicle and help augment that love.  To be honest with you, I was moved to tears by the experience and the love people poured out.  There was a joy in the air, God’s love.  People loved it.  People are hungry for that love of God.  There is a famous hymn that says, ‘They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love…’. Jesus tells us, shows us, what that looks like.  And that’s what he means when he says, ‘Abide in my love…’  Smile!  Engage!  Say hello!  Show the love of God.  You can do it every day, all day, at work, in the grocery store, on the metro, in the street.  Buon giorno!  Buona Sera!!!!  Show them we are Christians by our love! 

Amen.