Thursday, May 14, 2009

Today’s text

John 15:9-11

I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. 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 own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

Reflection

Your commandment is that we abide in you, Jesus, abide with you in the arms of the Eternal One. You call that Mystery ‘Father’ and know him as love, but your words are no more adequate to the Mystery than are mine.

Your command is that we seek in every space the face of that Love, to look upon every story as a holy story, a story where you are, where love labors, where the central struggle is to live fully.

Every story is the story of a struggle to come fully alive amid all that prevents it, even though what prevents it is usually we ourselves, in one way or another.

Every one is the story of the struggle of life with death, of love with ego. Yes, ego, for it is ego that moves me to withdraw into a self-protective shell. It is fearful ego that narrows vision to mere narcissism so that I can see only what immediately affects me.

It is ego that keeps me from seeing the stories and struggles of life to live in the souls of others. And not seeing them, my soul remains unmoved by the loving desire for life in abundance that is there. I fail to see their hunger for joy, for freedom and love.

You command me to remain, to abide in you. But how and where …if not to seek vision of your loving longing amid all of life, and especially where the struggle is most intense?

Pr. David L. Miller