One Love:
God's Unfolding Embrace and Our Call to Unity
Sunday’s readings resonate with a powerful message: the expansive, inclusive love of God that breaks down barriers and calls us into a profound unity. We witness the early church grappling with the inclusion of Gentiles, we are offered a glorious vision of a new creation where all things are made new, and we receive Jesus' direct and compelling command to love one another. These passages reveal the heart of God's "one love" and our responsibility to embody that love in our lives and communities.
Acts: Love Breaks Down Walls and Embraces the "Other" Peter's challenging experience in the house of Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, shows how God’s love breaks down walls. Peter, a devout Jew, initially held to the traditional separation between Jews and Gentiles. However, God intervened through a vision, commanding him not to call anything impure that God has made clean. This divine revelation, coupled with the undeniable outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household, forces Peter and the Jerusalem apostles to confront their preconceived notions. The evidence is irrefutable: God's love and grace extend beyond the boundaries of their tradition to embrace those previously considered "outsiders." Peter's powerful conclusion, "If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?" marks a pivotal moment in the early church's understanding of God's inclusive love. It demonstrates that the Gospel is not confined by ethnicity or social status but is a message of salvation for all. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts and to dismantle any walls of prejudice or exclusion that might hinder us from embracing the fullness of God's love for all people.
Revelation: Love Creates a New Reality of Unity and Wholeness Our reading from Revelation offers a breathtaking vision of the culmination of God's loving plan: a new heaven and a new earth, where the old order of suffering and separation has passed away. John sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. This imagery speaks of a perfect union between God and humanity. The powerful declaration from the throne, "See, I am making all things new," underscores the transformative power of God's love. He will dwell with his people, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. This glorious vision paints a picture of ultimate unity, where all the brokenness and divisions of the present world are healed and God's love reigns supreme. It is a future hope that inspires us to work towards greater unity and wholeness in our present lives, reflecting the coming reality of God's perfect love.
John: Love as the Defining Mark of Discipleship Our Gospel reading comes during Jesus' final meal with his disciples. Knowing his departure was imminent, Jesus gives them a new commandment: "Just as I 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." This isn't merely a suggestion; it is a defining characteristic of those who follow Christ. Jesus' love for his disciples was radical, selfless, and sacrificial, culminating in his death on the cross. He calls his followers to mirror this same kind of love in their interactions with one another. This "one another" encompasses not just those within our immediate circle, but extends to all people, even those who are different from us or with whom we might disagree. Jesus' command emphasizes that our love for one another is the primary way the world will recognize us as his disciples and witness the transformative power of God's love. It is a call to unity, to putting aside our differences and embracing one another in the same love that Christ has shown us.
Embodying One Love in a Divided World
These three passages, spanning the narrative of God's unfolding Kingdom, reveal the profound and unifying nature of His love. From the early church's struggle to embrace the Gentiles to the ultimate vision of a new creation where all things are made new, and to Jesus' direct command to love one another, the message is clear: God's love knows no boundaries, and neither should ours.
As we reflect on these words, let us ask ourselves:
- Are we open to God's expansive love? Are there any walls of prejudice or exclusion in our hearts that need to be torn down?
- Are we living in anticipation of God's new creation? Does our hope for ultimate unity and wholeness inspire us to work for greater love and justice in the present?
- Are we embodying Jesus' commandment to love one another? Is our love a defining characteristic of our lives and our communities?
In a world often fractured by division and animosity, the message of "one love" found in these scriptures is a powerful and urgent call. May we, empowered by the Holy Spirit, embrace the inclusive love of God, work towards the unity envisioned in His Kingdom, and live out Jesus' commandment to love one another, so that the world may know we are truly his disciples.
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