Love demands relationship. You can memorize a stack of facts and know a whole lot about someone; you could even develop a fairly accurate profile describing and explaining their personality and predict their future behavior—and yet still not develop a real and loving relationship with that person. Making the choice to love someone forces you to see beyond your private world, beyond your words, beyond yourself altogether. Love feeds on a shared history of affection, secrets, surprises, mysteries, generosity, moments and spontaneity. In a manner of speaking, you make history together.
Today in the Gospel we hear Jesus tell us the Luke version of the “Love Law”: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Have you thought about your own love affair with God, your own love history with Him?
Love is longing for the presence of your loved one—you think about that person throughout the day. Much more than words, this relationship is a new way to live life. Jesus' disciples learned it through experience. Toward the end of his life, St. John wrote this: “...let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
Loving God means we feel His presence, we respond to His nudging, we see Him in others, we hear Him when He speaks, and we tell of His mighty wonders when He is silent. All the while He never leaves us, He understands us when we don't have the words to explain, He listens to us when no one else will, and He is constantly searching for ways to bring out the best in us. Sound familiar? Our human relationships should be all of this—and this should be the model for our relationship with God. God loves us. How do you know if you love him?
There is a song from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” that has a message about loving in truth and action, with or without the actual words of love. The song is a conversation between Tevye (the long-suffering father) and Golde (the Mom). The two discuss the love of their daughter for a man, and in the midst of that discussion Tevye asks her if she loves him. Golde reminds him that for twenty-five years she has washed his clothes, cooked his meals, cleaned his house, given him children, and milked the cow. For twenty-five years she has lived with him, fought with him, starved with him, slept with him. In other words: love is action.
So, we can imagine God asking, “do you love me?” Maybe you answer: “Yes, God, remember when we...? Yes, God, we have shared history. Yes, I do love you!” Maybe prayer for this week could be to reflect on, and then to tell at least one story of God's relationship with you in your life. Maybe contemplate how your love for God may translate into loving actions for those around you. Reflect on your love, tell about your love, then act on that love.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
Today in the Gospel we hear Jesus tell us the Luke version of the “Love Law”: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Have you thought about your own love affair with God, your own love history with Him?
Love is longing for the presence of your loved one—you think about that person throughout the day. Much more than words, this relationship is a new way to live life. Jesus' disciples learned it through experience. Toward the end of his life, St. John wrote this: “...let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
Loving God means we feel His presence, we respond to His nudging, we see Him in others, we hear Him when He speaks, and we tell of His mighty wonders when He is silent. All the while He never leaves us, He understands us when we don't have the words to explain, He listens to us when no one else will, and He is constantly searching for ways to bring out the best in us. Sound familiar? Our human relationships should be all of this—and this should be the model for our relationship with God. God loves us. How do you know if you love him?
There is a song from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” that has a message about loving in truth and action, with or without the actual words of love. The song is a conversation between Tevye (the long-suffering father) and Golde (the Mom). The two discuss the love of their daughter for a man, and in the midst of that discussion Tevye asks her if she loves him. Golde reminds him that for twenty-five years she has washed his clothes, cooked his meals, cleaned his house, given him children, and milked the cow. For twenty-five years she has lived with him, fought with him, starved with him, slept with him. In other words: love is action.
So, we can imagine God asking, “do you love me?” Maybe you answer: “Yes, God, remember when we...? Yes, God, we have shared history. Yes, I do love you!” Maybe prayer for this week could be to reflect on, and then to tell at least one story of God's relationship with you in your life. Maybe contemplate how your love for God may translate into loving actions for those around you. Reflect on your love, tell about your love, then act on that love.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
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