Sermon: Just as I have loved you...

          Peter said, "If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?"  Peter recognized that limitations on God are entirely made of human hubris.  And yet, we often see people who decide to put words in God's mouth, or even more often limit other people by misrepresenting God's words.

          We know that in today's world, Christianity has spread far and wide, yet there are many who hear about Christ, and choose not to convert from their own religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, etc.  Given how divisive the over 40,000 sects of Christianity can be, is it any wonder that others may not be interested in joining a church that can't get it together?

          Christ said in today's Gospel as he was soon to be leaving, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  Yet how often do we argue doctrine and tradition, putting words in God's mouth in order to create dogma?  Let's look at those words, and potentially figure out why it might be that others might not be so interested in joining us.

          Dogma is the definitive teaching of the church, meaning the entire body of Christ, which is to be believed by the members of the church.  The chief matters so approved in the church include the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, which were defined by the first four general councils. Virtually all Anglicans recognize these councils as ecumenical and authoritative…  The judgments of these councils consequently rank as dogma.

          Christian doctrine is the rational exposition and illumination of the affirmations of the Christian faith as made, for example, in the Apostles' and Nicene creeds.  The difference here between doctrine, a teaching or instruction, is that it is not "officially" declared. 

          In Christian theology, tradition originally referred simply to that which had been handed down to the church from the prophets and the apostles concerning belief in God and God's redemptive work in Christ.  This was the oral tradition before everything became the authorized versions of the canon, authorized teachings of the councils, etc.  At the Reformation, most Protestant tradition became only that which could be found in scripture, or sola scriptura.  The Anglican church, as is our way, took a mediating position:  admitting the authority of traditions so long as they were not "repugnant [or contradictory] to the Word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority." Anglicanism reflects balance in its devotion to scripture, tradition, and reason as sources of authority.

          So in these three words, we have dogma, that which the Church, as a whole, believes through the Word of God and through Faith; we have doctrine, which is where the various sects of Christianity believe; and we have tradition, which is how we practice what we believe. 

          Peter returned to Jerusalem, and immediately, the believers there began criticizing him, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?"  Peter had to justify why he was eating with Gentiles, and eating unclean food.  For Peter, he didn't have dogma or tradition to back him up.  What he had was a message directly from God, sent to him three times with all sorts of animals, fish, fowl that descended to him in a sheet.  What he also had were the words of Christ, directly telling them, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." 

          Jesus never differentiated between those like Him and those like the people He ate with, talked with, prayed with.  He loved every one of them as children of God, and He commanded us to love one another as He loves us. 

          Now, for us, this became dogma, since it is directly from the Scriptures.  There's no argument, no differentiation in loving one another.  He didn't say, love everyone, except those who worship differently than you, or those who follow different laws.  He didn't put in any qualifications.  There's a meme that's often seen out there saying, "Here's an idea:  You love them like I love you.  Make sure you take care of them and don't judge them.'  And some in the crowd asks, 'But what if they're gay or worship other gods?'  And Jesus responds, 'Did I stutter?'"  And yet, so often, we have allowed our traditions to get in the way, and forget that we have the words of Christ in how we should treat one another. 

          The following story appeared in the newsletter Our America;

          "Dodie Gadient, a schoolteacher for thirteen years, decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One afternoon rounding a curve on I-5 near Sacramento in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared, and alone. In spite of the traffic jam she caused, no one seemed interested in helping.

          "Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, 'Please God, send me an angel . . . preferably one with mechanical experience.'

          Within four minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattooed arms. With an incredible air of confidence, he jumped off and, without even glancing at Dodie, went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the freeway onto a side street, where he calmly continued to work on the water pump.

          "The intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to talk. Especially when she read the paralyzing words on the back of his leather jacket: 'Hells Angels -- California'. As he finished the task, she finally got up the courage to say, 'Thanks so much,' and carry on a brief conversation. Noticing her surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her straight in the eye and mumbled, 'Don't judge a book by its cover. You may not know who you're talking to.' With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared."

          Given half a chance, people often crawl out of the boxes into which we've relegated them."

          What would happen if all of us followed the commandment of Christ?  If we love one another as He loves us?

          "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God … And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

          'See, the tabernacle  of God is among mortals.

          He will dwell with them;

          they will be his people,

          and God himself will be with them;

          he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

          Death will be no more;

          mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

          for the first things have passed away.' 

And the one who was seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new.'"