To Love

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete."
~Jn 15:9–11

A good friend once said that the one thing people desire most is to love and be loved. Regardless of race, creed, or socioeconomic background, in our quiet moments, it's love for which we long. Maybe that's why reading today's Gospel sounds so much like hearing the sweetest piece of music ever played. Like a beautifully composed love letter, Jesus tells us exactly what we want and need to hear. We are loved.

We are loved, but true love is never a one-way street. Remain in my love must naturally follow. Every relationship has two sides. The give and take are both crucial. Think about it. Have you ever found yourself angrily muttering about what you're not getting from a friend, a family member, a spouse, or a co-worker? You easily list all the ways they have offended you or not lived up to your expectations. Fix one of these moments in your mind. Then turn the mirror on yourself. Did you make it easy for them to help you, to know you, or to love you? How might your reactions have influenced their behavior? Every relationship has two sides.

The same is true for the one you have with God. I've certainly reached moments in my life when it seemed like God was far away. Things were not going well and I felt no sense of grace or divine assistance. That poem about the footprints in the sand is a beautiful piece of literary work, but let's face it, even the guy in the story didn't know he was being carried at the time it was happening. It was only later when he took the time to listen to God's story, to have a conversation with God, that the truth of their relationship came to light.

Remain in my love. Keep your end of this relationship alive. Do what is right, what is just, and what is good, and you will remain in my love. Jesus makes it pretty clear. He'll always love us, but in order for us to feel the joy of this relationship, we're going to need to give a little, too. The next time you find yourself feeling lost and alone, muttering about how God has left you in the mess of life, turn the mirror on yourself. When was the last time you sought God? What part have you played in your relationship with him?