God so loved the WORLD

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

God so loved the world... the world God created.  Jesus follows a path that leads to suffering and death, a choice that comes with the highest of price tags, so that he can live into what he believes is his fullest sense of the humanity God has given him. He is called the Son of God because he lives in such a way.

If we are, as the scripture says, just a "little lower than the angels," then why aren't we better at loving one another?  Why aren't we better at loving God?  God gives us free will, nothing is left out of our control in this earthly realm, says the author of Hebrews, and yet we often fail to praise God and give God our glory and honor. We sometimes choose instead to relegate God's working in our lives to the same position we might hold 'luck' or 'great timing' or 'our own good sense.'  And if things go poorly, we fail to see how God is working in all things.

It is difficult stuff, this business of loving God and believing God loves us. It might even be harder stuff than the stuff it takes to love our fellow human beings.  I mean, it is easy for me to understand what loving my son, or my spouse, or my cat should look and feel like... but loving God? It seems so far beyond my reach or my comprehension, the actual physical act of loving my God.

Perhaps it is best, then, that we start with all God created for humans to love. Perhaps we start by loving  all of the earthly created order that God has given us and then try to move closer to "God love" in the process.

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. A Sunday when all across the globe, Christians celebrate the Sacrament of Word and Table together.  When we break bread, someone else across the globe breaks it with us in the same spirit of worldwide Christian community.  Perhaps we should take a moment to consider someone across the globe who needs our prayers and our love.

In our community, it is also Blessing of the Animals Sunday. A time when we gather as a faith community and invite our ENTIRE community to join us at the Longmont Humane Society for a blessing of all the animal friends in our lives.  We meet at 2 pm for a liturgy, some singing, some snacks, and lots of pet hugs and blessings.  We thank the LHS for sponsoring this event with us for the second straight year.

Perhaps this is the perfect first place to start, with the animals God has entrusted to our care. Animals that need us and love us, unconditionally (well, except maybe for the cats...), and who share our lives in an kind of interdependence that feeds our souls.  Our glorious opportunity to extend Christ's table to the humane society blessing is exactly what Jesus has in mind when he says, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you." (Heb. 2: 12)

Do you know how to truly love God? What would that look like in your world?  How do you show the sacrificial love of Christ to your neighbors?  Email me or comment below.