Children born into loving families, begin their lives surrounded by that love. They learn who they are and who they can become. Loving families allow children to grow and mature physically, spiritually and emotionally. Children can then rely on parents and family to guide, nurture and direct their lives, until they reach maturity. In time, children become responsible for their own choices and the consequences that spring from them. However, it is the family where love is first learned and if learned well, continues to impact their lives.
Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are also born into a family of shared faith. It is this faith-family that binds us together and makes us responsible for one another in a family we call…church. The love that binds the church family together requires a continual attitude of loving and caring support, assistance and direction. The ancient biblical question concerning being “my brother’s keeper,” is answered emphatically by our response: We are not our brother’s keeper, we are our brother’s brother…our sister’s sister. We are all brothers and sisters.
Our response to the needs of others is not based on church laws, membership rules or commands, but on the person, mission and message of Jesus Christ. The presence of Christ in the gathered community is the single most vital element of the church. As our gospel reminds us: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” This ever-present Jesus forms the basis of our care and concern for others and demands that we respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Family includes not only those with whom we gather to worship each weekend, but also people across the street and across the world. All people are God’s people, and they were God’s people long before they were our people. God reminds us that we can never ignore or isolate ourselves from those whom he loves, trying to love him alone. God is never alone, because everyone is as close to him as we are. In fact, God is not available to us without them. When we love them, we love him, and when we do not love them, we do not love him! Remember the Scriptural caution from St. John: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” [I John 4:20]
Even a brief superficial view of our brothers and sisters demands we do not ponder our acceptance of them. We are the church---the body of Christ---the people of God. As the church, and as disciples of that church, we are responsible to and for our brothers and sisters. The whole idea of Christianity is love…real, personal and persistent love. Above all else, Jesus came to love us, and we in turn are to love others. We are called not to charity or to magnanimity, but to love, for if we love well, charity and generosity are automatically part of our love response. “While it is possible to give without loving, it is never possible to love without giving.” As Paul reminds us this week, “Owe no debt except that which binds us to love one another.” How inclusive is our love?
----Deacon Wilson Shierk