Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4: 7-8)
We're coming to Easter-tide's conclusion. This transformation is happening just as Spring's warm afternoons burst along with garden flowers into bloom. It's May, May, the lovely month of May!
I'm delighting in paying particular to various bird songs in the morning. I'm not having quite as much fun tackling the seasonal task of getting dandelions out of my yard. As Episcopal BishopSusan Goffsays abouther paintingJoy Comes in the Morning Easter:
"I never found joy standing alone, isolated from suffering, but instead flashes and swirls of joy in the midst of it. That kind of joy is never a lie."
I'm also focusing in faith on the principle that God's love abides in all of life's moments. As the author of the First Epistle of John writes: "God is love." Our whole sense of being human is inherent in this truth. Being Christian means believing in God's love so much that we should choose love over fear, compassion over hate, and justice rather than injustice. We love our neighbors, internal and external friends and foes alike, in every word and action of our lives. Why, because God loves us through Jesus Christ's eternal example of sacrificial, "other-centered" love.
That's a tough ask and it is the fabric of Christ's exemplary life, death, and resurrection for us. Accepting God's creative love means we will have to let go of some of our desires to control our lives. Abiding in Christ's joy requires not demanding that things always turn out as we think they should. We as human beings inherently hang onto all sorts of needs, grief, and other forms of attachments. Believing that God's love exists in all aspects of who we are along with an open, compassionate and thankful heart, mind, and soul acknowledges joyously Godly love for us. Through Christ, we believe and live into such love.
I hope that you'll take time to read this month's Communicator. The newsletter provides readers a wealth of important information, dates, and stories. Please read it and contact Bill Whittle if you have any suggestions or ideas for June's newsletter. Enjoy Spring and the beauty of God's love in your life each day.
