"Who Said Loving Others was Easy?" - John 14:15-21 - May 1, 2005

Early in my ministry I served a church that had a number of teenage boys. There wasn’t a lot of resources for them so I convinced the church trustees to install a basketball backboard and hoop on the edge of the parking lot. It was a big hit. The boys in the church played just about every day. Other kids in the neighborhood played there too and I had the opportunity to interact with many youth in the area.

The idea turned out to be very popular and I was proud of the fact that we had developed a successful way to reach youth in the neighborhood. A few weeks before I left the church I received a phone call from one of the trustees. It seemed that a woman who lived next to the church had complained to the police that the sound of basketballs were keeping her up late into the night. Consequently they dismantled the backboard to avoid conflict with the neighbors.

Needless to say I was devastated. I had worked hard to develop relationships with the kids and now they would have no where to play. The trustees refused to tell me which neighbor had complained so I didn’t have the opportunity to make peace with the person who complained. I was angry at the neighbors for being so selfish and I was disappointed in the trustees for acting so quickly.

When others do things that go against our beliefs they become very difficult to love. And yet, Jesus tells us that loving others is what he expects of us. Love is the essence of our faith. It is to be unconditional, sacrificial and never ending. But, let’s be honest, there are times when loving others is not easy.

Take for example a story of the Berlin Wall that had just been erected in Germany. In the early days of the famous Wall, hostilities flared when truckloads of stinking garbage were dumped from East Berlin into West Berlin. Many residents wrote to the mayor demanding revenge for this offense, but he responded in a unique way. He asked he people to gather all the flowers in West Berlin and bring them to a certain place at the wall. Then as a great avalanche of beautiful and fragrant flowers was poured over the wall, a large banner was raised. Written on the banner were the words: "We each give what we have." (from Jerry Fuller, OMI, Deacon Sil)

The folks in West Berlin could have retaliated by sending their garbage over the wall in return. Revenge, however is not what we are about. Revenge doesn’t make for peace. Revenge doesn’t heal. Revenge only fuels the fire of hatred. Jesus wants followers who can rise above the urge to get even. Jesus was a peacemaker and he wants followers who will model peace.

Granted it’s not easy to love someone when they are mean or spiteful or do things that discriminate or tear down others. Love is the required response. Love holds us accountable and consequently we aspire to a higher level.

Interesting words, "We each give what we have." What do we have? According to Jesus we have the ability to love others because that is what he was about and that is what he taught. Although he is no longer here in the flesh he has left us with the power to love through the Holy Spirit. Jesus has left us with an advocate or a teacher. I like to believe he has left us with a presence. That presence may change from situation to situation but God will be with us in every circumstance.

"I will not leave you orphaned," Jesus said. In other words, whatever evil we may face we don’t have to face it alone. There may be times when we feel alone or times when we feel that God has abandoned us. God is there, but there are times when we are just too anxious to realize God’s presence.

Sometimes God is with us through others, like when a friend or relative helps us through a difficult time. God is also present with us in other ways too. When Christopher Columbus was sailing to the new world his hired sailors were threatening mutiny. The voyage was long and hard and there was no land in sight for weeks. One day Columbus saw an encouraging sign. Floating on the ocean swells was a small tree branch. The branches’ leaves were green, indicating that land could not be far away. The green branch gave the sailors enthusiasm and a renewed hope. Soon after its discovery land was sighted from the sailor in the crow’s nest.

When all seems hopeless God has a way of surprising us and being present, even in the loneliest places. It is not God who is absent but we who have ceased to believe in a God who loves us, sometimes more than we love ourselves.

To overcome loneliness we may need a friend, or some earthly object that reminds us of the creator. Notice that Jesus also said to his followers that those who love him (and others) will be loved by God in return. The Holy Spirit may be with us but we still have to choose to draw from its power.

Mary Lennox was orphaned at the age of nine. Her parents died of cholera. Mary was unaffectionate and uncaring. She had been largely ignored by her parents while living in India. After her parents died she was sent to England to live with her uncle. But the move did nothing to improve her attitude. She expected everyone to jump at her command.

In her loneliness, overtime, Mary began to change. She was so desperate she asked a robin in the garden to be her friend. She then began to treat others with more respect. She was nice to the maid and even the maid’s little brother, Dickon. Mary started asking his advice on things and shared with him the story of her friend the robin. Eventually, Mary convinced her crippled cousin, Colin, to grab hold of life and live with courage. As she grew and became more loving toward others her life was completely transformed. Eventually she became much happier and was surrounded by many friends. (from God’s Little Lessons for Graduates, Honor Books)

To overcome loneliness, you may need a friend. Yet to make a friend, you first must be one yourself. Loving others can be a challenge. But, loving others is what we are challenged to do. Love will ultimately change who we are and at the same time make a difference in the world in which we live.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio