Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Perhaps the greatest and most splendid opportunity about being a follower of Jesus is the freedom that God’s grace through Christ affords each of us. What I mean by this is that when we ponder the depths of Christ’s love for us, that each of us is truly and genuinely loved by God just as we are despite all of our failings and neglectfulness, we can potentially realize that the only things that matter are our love of God and our love of neighbor. Put another way, God loves us, and if God loves us, what more is there? It would seem that the only thing left is the need of our neighbor.
Our mission statement is counter-cultural and says no to the message of individualism that is prevalent today. Contrary to the popular notion that “I” or “we” are the most important things, or that our individual needs are paramount to other’s needs, our mission statement, “Love God, love your neighbor, tell the world” does not mention “my” or “our” needs at all. In fact, we love God because God loves us, and since God’s love of us through Christ is sure, then the only things that truly matter are our neighbor’s needs. More, since God’s love for us is certain, then even the needs that we think we need are of lesser importance than our neighbor’s needs. Why? Because, God’s love is ultimately our deepest need. The need of God’s love becomes obscured when we ask,”What makes me happy?” But, when we ask the more pointed questions, “Why am I here? What purpose does my life have?” our need of God’s love becomes more apparent and genuine fulfillment and love become possible. But because of a host of reasons, like sin, doubt, busy-ness, greed etc…. even the most basic need of God’s love gets obscured. So, if our needs are less important than they seem, then we are free from our needs and wants to serve others in Christian love.
Dear friends, we are free, free from all things, free from doubt and worry, free from social obligations contrary to Christ’s love, and yes, even free from ourselves on account of God’s love through Christ. You see, this is what being a follower of Jesus grants us, freedom from all. We are free, and just as Christ gave everything for us, so to we are called to give all that we are and have for others. This is summarized in the new commandment that Jesus gives in John 13:34-35, “Just as I [Jesus] have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Just as our mission statement does not mention “my” or “our” needs, Jesus does not mention them either because our needs, through Christ’s love, are transformed into a concern for the needs of others. That is, we need to help others, or, perhaps better put, we need to “love our neighbors” as our mission statement says. Martin Luther, in his 1520 piece, The Freedom of a Christian said the same thing using different words, “A Christian is lord of all, completely free of everything. A Christian is a servant, completely attentive to the needs of others.” So, our freedom afforded by Christ is a freedom to serve others because our needs, the need of God’s love, is affirmed through Christ. So in 2014, I pray that we, like we say at the close of every worship service, “Love God, love our neighbors, and tell the world!”
Grace and peace,
Pastor Carmine Pernini
