The Rev. Virginia W. Nagel
Episcopal Diocese of Central NY (Retired)
Do you love God?
I suppose most of us would answer "yes" to that question. After all, isn't
that why we are here in church today and every week, to show that we love God,
and praise and adore him, and give him thanks for all that he gives us and does
for us?
And then ...
And then, the Church gives us the reading from the Song of Solomon, often
called the Song of Songs. It speaks of the passionate love and longing of a
woman for her beloved.
Some scholars believe that a woman wrote this book of the Bible, but we have
no way of knowing for sure. At any rate, the author makes it very clear how
deeply and passionately he or she longs to be with the loved person. It's clear
in the loving description of the beloved's charms. It's clear in the passionate
wishes for the two to be reunited and be together.
St. Paul tells us in one of his epistles that the Church is the Bride of
Christ. Christ is the bridegroom, and the church...that's you and me, the
members of the church, not just the leaders in some office building...are
supposed to be passionately in love with Christ. Jesus and his lifestyle and
teachings are the loveliness and goodness and beauty that attract us deeply and
make us want to follow Jesus, no matter what.
And so, given all this, I ask you again: Do you love God? Do you love God the
way the author of the Songs loved his or her beloved? Are you that passionate
about God and Jesus? Do you speak admiringly of the wonderful things that come
to you because of God's love for you and your love for him? Do you feel
intensely the beauty of God's and Jesus' characteristics? Can you name them as
lovingly as the author of the Songs names the characteristics of the beloved?
James' Epistle tells us that if we love Jesus and intend to follow him, we
must do so whole-heartedly. It's not enough to talk the talk, we have to walk
the walk. It's not enough to tell others admiringly about Jesus' compassion to
the poor and the hurting, we ourselves are expected to show that same compassion
and do something to help. It's not enough to speak about how Jesus treated
everyone with justice and dignity, we ourselves have to work for justice and
dignity for all peoples...and not just by writing a check now and then, but by
rolling up our sleeves and getting down to work. We can, of course, volunteer in
soup kitchens, shelters or next-to-new shops. But we can also volunteer in
hospitals or prisons, or tutor children who are having difficulty in school, or
teach adult literacy classes. We can give blood, we can work with the Red Cross
to pack school kits or basic needs kits for victims of natural disasters....the
list is endless. Every one of us should find some form of ministry. Elderly
people and the homebound can pray for those in need, make phone calls to comfort
folks in distress, or send cards and notes to those who need support or a
helping, loving hand.
Today's Gospel shows Jesus teaching another lesson in loving God. It's quite
simple: God has given us rules to live by, and we have no business substituting
our own rules for his. White lies are still lies. A light-hearted flirtation can
be dangerous to the marriage bond. Parents' preference for the joys of a night
out simply cannot be substituted for the responsibility of caring for their
children....and so on. We all know the rules. We all know that we are often
tempted to bend---or even ignore---those rules for our own pleasure or
enjoyment. And we all know, too, that in doing so, we not only hurt others whom
we supposedly love, but we go against the direct teachings of God himself.
And so, we end as we began, with that same question: Do you love God? Do you
just talk about it, or do you live that love with passion and a returning love
of your own for him? Yes, love costs something. It would be valueless if it
didn't. Is your love worthy of the love that died on the cross for you? Because,
really, that's what today's readings are all about. Amen.
