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"?
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