students of jesus

Let’s embark today in an exercise on reading the scripture. It’s also an exercise in the love of God. It’s a pretty good two-fer.

When we come to the Bible part of our task includes inviting God’s word into our heart as well as our mind. The mind is concerned with understanding. The heart is concerned with our whole being (the mind included). Thomas à Kempis demonstrates this in his simple saying, “I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it.” The mind is satisfied with definitions. The mind too easily confuses knowing with being. The mind forgets that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

Love is its own way of knowing. Simone Weil instructed us, “Love is not consolation. It is light.” We need this light. I need it. So do you.

But how can we move from knowledge to being? Today, let’s explore one path.

Perhaps you’ve encountered this famous passage?

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails . . . “ (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

We have heard this passage at so many weddings and funerals, and in so many sermons, we could be excused if we think we “know” it. If you have five minutes more, and a quiet place, let me invite you into this exercise:

First: did you read the words, or skip over them as soon as you realized it was the famous love passage?

Second: Did you read the words silently in your head, or did you speak them out loud? The path from knowledge to being begins with the engagement of our voice and ears, as well as our eyes: did you know that faith comes by hearing, and not by seeing?

Third: without doing any injustice to the sacred text, let’s personalize it. This time read the passage aloud, substituting “God’s love for me” instead of “love.” Let your ears hear your voice speaking of God’s love for you:

God’s love for me is patient, God’s love for me is kind and God’s love for me is not jealous; God’s love for me does not brag and God’s love for me is not arrogant, God’s love for me does not act unbecomingly; God’s love for me does not seek its own, God’s love for me is not provoked, God’s love for me does not take into account a wrong suffered, God’s love for me does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; God’s love for me bears all things, God’s love for me believes all things, God’s love for me hopes all things, God’s love for me endures all things. God’s love for me never fails.

And fourth, let’s invite our enemies into God’s love. Think of someone you dislike (perhaps you even hate him or her). Do not let your mind hijack this fourth and final step—think of an actual person. Bill, the guy at work who tries to subvert your work and get you fired. Susan, the girl at school who is so mean to you every day. If you are particularly daring, think of that loved one who has hurt you so deeply, betrayed you and wounded you so deeply you feel you might never recover. Speak his or her name. Bring to mind the face of this person.

Have you selected someone? Good. As our fourth step let’s speak God’s love over them. Out loud. Like this:

God’s love for _____ is patient, God’s love for _____ is kind and God’s love for _____ is not jealous; God’s love for _____ does not brag and God’s love for ______ is not arrogant, God’s love for ______ does not act unbecomingly; God’s love for ______ does not seek its own, God’s love for ______ is not provoked, God’s love for ______ does not take into account a wrong suffered, God’s love for ______ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; God’s love for ______ bears all things, God’s love for ______ believes all things, God’s love for ______ hopes all things, God’s love for ______ endures all things. God’s love for ______ never fails.

Did you do it? I hope so, because the love of God is never complete in us until we realize it is for our enemies as well as ourselves.

My grand hope for you today is that you will begin a journey into the word of God and the love of God, and discover its four dimensions: how wide, and long, and high, and deep is the love of God—for you, and indeed for all he has made.

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