Looking Back...in Love

This marks the conclusion of our summer long "tour" through Romans. Even though our congregation won't be hearing the lectionary reading from Romans this Sunday--we'll be starting four Sundays of creation-themed worship, which you can learn more about at the Season of Creation website--Paul's reading for Sunday (13:8-14) does leave us with words that help give perspective on the journey we've taken through this book. Paul writes, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." (13:10) Love is something we often think of as a feeling or action we do for someone else. But as we look back on all the readings we've heard from Romans this summer, love--God's love, given to us in Jesus--changes how we look back at our past. It is so easy to look back at our past in anger, resentment and with regret. But the love to which Paul testifies in Romans changes how we see our past. We see that same love being manifest through relationships, experiences and graces that the love of God has woven into and through our past. As we look back at this summer we've spent in Romans, I can see that love in so many ways: love setting us free from sin to rely on God to love all who are different from us (6:23); love giving us words of life to speak to those who feel condemned (8:5); love breaking us open to rely on God to care for even those who do not know Christ (9:1-5). For all these gifts and more, how can we look back...in anger? No, Paul urges: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (13:14), which can't help but change our hearts to look back and see God's love.

What in your past is put in a different light because of the love of God? What do you know about the book of Romans now that you didn't before this summer "tour"?

Disarmed

Sunday's Romans reading (12:9-21) has more than 30 imperatives all related to love, but we do well to remember the source of that love: "God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us." (5:8) There are times when this love of Jesus can be offensive to us. We don't believe we could possibly deserve such love. We don't feel we need it. We sometimes don't want it. But the love of Christ always has a way of coming to us, and by its steadfast, forgiving, courageous, risk-taking power, he disarms our defenses, and opens up a place of trust within us. What would it be like to risk that same offensive love to an enemy or stranger? Paul proclaims that as Christ also loved our enemies, our love is not only expressed to those we like, but also to these who themselves we may easily get defensive around. "Contribute to the needs of the saints: extend hospitality to strangers... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (8:13, 21) As true love loves without expecting anything in return, so love for an enemy or stranger does not expect love back, but loves hoping to disarm the power of hostility.

Do you ever struggle with Christ's love being offensive to you? What enemy or stranger could you to show disarming love to today?

Not Overlooked

How easy it is for us to overlook someone whom, for whatever reason, we discount as useless. No matter how compassionate we may be, we cannot deny our own propensity to not "see" those on the margins in the church, the community and the world. One reason for this oversight is the hierarchical nature of American society that trains us to compete rather than partner with others. Built on the belief that competition is good, we often look to others by only how "useful" or not they are to our advantage. In Sunday's epistle reading, Paul offers a unique vision of the Christian community as an antidote such hierarchy (Romans 12:1-8). In this vision, everyone has something to contribute, for "we are members of one another."(12:5) Such an interdependent body that lifts up the gifts of all can build up trust in God as the foundation of such a living community. I have heard of a church where an adolescent who had cerebral palsy saw his gift as being a greeter when people arrived at the church. Our instinct is to perhaps make a "comfortable place" for someone like him who does not appear to have any gifts to share. But Christian community is born, Paul proclaims, when the thriving of the whole depends upon the thriving of everyone's tapestry of gifts.

What keeps you from encouraging the gifts, talents and resources of others? What gifts to you share that remind you that we are "members of one another"?

That's Not Fair!

Much of our daily lives are lived as transactions. We expect to get something when we give something, whether it is a particular experience or product from a purchase, compensation from our work, a return based on our investments, or giving of a service in order to be recognized. These are only fair expectations, right? I give, therefore I ought to get. Well for the apostle Paul, he can't make sense of how it is that God does not work the same way. It would appear the Jews in Rome who have rejected Christ--who have given no credence to the new life promised in Jesus--would not receive God's blessing. But Paul proclaims that God proclaims otherwise: "...for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (11:29) God's gracious love revealed on the cross of Christ is freely given. It is a reverse transaction. But with Paul we cry out, "But that's not fair!" However it turns out that both the free gift and the call to be God's beloved can never be revoked. God's transaction with us is one way, from God to us. Perhaps one way we can embody God's freely given blessing is to bless others the way God blesses us: freely.

When was the last time you received a freely given blessing? How did it free you to bless others without any expectations of receiving anything in return?

Talking the Walk

For many of us, it is much easier to "walk the talk" than to "talk the walk." We prefer to live by our actions, sharing our faith by doing rather than speaking. Such people of faith often quote Francis of Assisi: "Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary use words." But Paul's question rings in the silence of our hearts: "But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:14-15) So many barriers can keep us from sharing our faith. We wonder, how will others perceive me if I "come out" as a Christian? What can I say, when my words seem so imperfect? Paul gives his own clear testimony we can begin from: "Jesus is Lord." (10:9) From there we can share our questions, struggles, and ways God has made our wounds whole. We can rest assured that our testimony does not save us, for that has already been done in Christ. We can uphold the purpose to which Christ calls us, not to keep him hidden, but to follow him and share him with the world in word and in deed.

Which do you find harder, "walking the talk" or "talking the walk"? What barriers keep you from sharing Christ in the world?