Sunday 5AM
No sooner had I swung around and put my feet on the floor, while still sitting on the edge of the bed, that the thought occurred to me. "Is it possible to have a deep love relationship with GOD while avoiding deep relationships with others?" Love must have a context in which to function, flow and flourish. Although I may believe otherwise and I might hope that it isn't true, it is. I long for a deeper relationship with GOD, which has to be based on love, because God is love, the problem is I am not good at maintaining and working at deep relationships with others. It is problem because GOD is a being in relationship. God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Spirit, equal status within the three Persons of the Trinity. GOD reveals Himself, Father, Son & Holy Spirit, as a being in perfect relationship and perfect union, and it is from this perfect union that perfect loves functions, flows and flourishes.
"A" - A deep loving relationship with GOD.
"B" - Deep loving relationships with others.
Is it possible that "A" is the results of "B"? Is "B" the context in which "A" is made experiential to me? When I search my thoughts for a scriptural basis to support the "A/B" questions I could not help but think of the exchange between the Lord and the Apostle Peter. Concerning love and relationship Jesus says to Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?", "Simon, son of John, do you love me?", "Simon, son of John, do you love me? In each case the LORD, who, remember is GOD Incarnate, follows His question with an answer that has to do with Peter's relationships with others. To Peter's "Yes, Lord." Christ replies, "Feed My lambs.", "Shepherd My sheep.", "Feed My sheep.". It makes it pretty clear doesn't it!
Jesus relationship TO us can be understood in a number of ways: He is our Maker, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Righteousness, and more. But as regards His relationship WITH us, that forms the foundation of ours with others, the Bible says He (GOD Incarnate - Jesus) humbled himself, took on flesh and blood, and came to serve us. As regards relationship GOD came down to us, to get under us, to save us, to restore us to the pre-fall relationship and status humanity and GOD shared together. And, what was that relationship shared between divinity and humanity? Human beings were created beings, in a loving, serving, relationship with GOD, the Father; God the Son; and GOD the Holy Spirit. This is the context I believe Jesus was talking to Peter about when he challenged Peter's thinking about loving GOD. In its most radical and authentic context, to love GOD is to love others for this is what GOD does. No one can experience deep and satisfying love outside the experiences, both good and bad, found and formed in relationship. One of the great tragedies that demonstrates this is divorce. Divorce severes the cords of marriage that bind a man and woman, allowing to form a union where each is equal to the other, so that together in this deep, united, serving relationship, they can discover the mysteries of love (which GOD has embedded in marriage). Love will never function, flow and flourish without the safety of an unbreakable, "for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, til death to us part", relationship, the kind of relationship and commitment GOD has entered into with humanity. This is one of the things that separates Christianity from every other faith expression in the world. For example, in the original and fundamental teaching of Islam, love for "God" is expressed by jihad, killing of "infidels", the domination of its followers, and the unashamed, blatant cruelty of women. Christianity on the other hand invites us into a relationship with the One Who loves us and from within that relationship calls to us to go and love others in the same way, even our enemies. We see this modeled by the life of Jesus (GOD Incarnate) and hear it taught by His words. Who other than a being in perfect relationship and perfect love could ever look down from the cross where His enemies just finished nailing Him, and pray; "Father, forgive them because they do not understand what they are doing." Jesus came to establish and initiate a new kingdom on earth, one based on the union of two realities, loving God and loving others (even our enemies). "A" cannot exist without "B", and "B" is impossible to maintain without "A".
With this in mind what then is the right role of those who claim to be followers of Christ? What then is the right role of the church? The answer to both is the same, differing only in scale and scope. Is it not to enter into relationship with others in order to serve them? Isn't this our best expression of love for GOD?
Peter, do you love me more than these...Feed My sheep."
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