Love is a Gracious Act - Reflection 13th Sunday OT

(Readings)

Love is a Gracious Act and on this Independence Day, it is disappointing to look at this country and to not see that most gracious act abound.

Most people try to live good lives; but, the voices we hear on television and in the media disappoint. They disappoint us in the failure to respect the dignity of every person and the promotion of disappearing civility.

They validate it by screams about injustice.

Disappointing because does this screaming and challenge against injustice come from love or hate? It is in the lack of civility and disrespect of others that hate raises its ugly head.

All this ugliness cannot be for love; because “Love is a gracious act.”

It is not the President’s actions in doing what he thinks is right or a senators opinion and rhetoric or a restaurant owners bigotry and prejudice manifest in their refusal to serve someone or a celebrity’s vitriol expressed as expertise in things they know nothing about that is the problem.

It is not about one person or their actions. It is about the essence of this age that permeates society.

Its essence is not love.  

Its essence is not a gracious act.

It’s really not an essence; it’s a stink - the stink of discontent and hate. You cannot help anyone from that place.

To understand the down trodden, the poor, the immigrant, the refugee, the person who is not like us, and to love them, you have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Forget yourself and become them. To excel in the gracious act that is love, our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

The discontent and hate we have seen are not new. The acts of using innocents, yelling and screaming, and name calling are tried and true rules of radicalism.

In 1971, Saul Alinsky, who is considered the founder of modern community organizers, wrote the book, “Rules for Radicals” giving guidance for social unrest. Guidance realized in arguments and screams of radical protesters. He wrote: 

• Increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty, fabricate events to agitate, disrupt and ultimately destroy.
• Make the enemy live up to the rules. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all the rules.
• Ridicule is a most potent weapon. There is no defense.
• Push a negative hard enough, it will become a positive.

On the dedication page of Alinsky’s book, is this “let us not forget the original radical, Lucifer, who gained his own kingdom….”

Lucifer won his own kingdom when he was thrown from heaven and fell to earth.  God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. These things entered the world by the envy of the devil, and they who belong to his company experience it.  

Lucifer, the fallen angel we call the devil, is not about love but pride.

For those shouting the loudest, it’s not about love. And, none of this is about charity. It’s not about loving your neighbor or welcoming a stranger. Neither is it about feeding the hungry, nor clothing the naked. For those shouting the loudest, it is not about what is right, it is about pride.

Shouting to agitate, disrupt, destroy through insecurity, anxiety, and uncertainty is not about love.

Ridicule is not about love. Changing wrong into right is not about love.

Love is willing the good of others. If the activist are truly working to will the good of other (to love of those who need our love), why are they making so much noise?

It doesn’t take crowds. It doesn’t take a lot of noise. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping?  And they ridiculed him.

Then with those who really loved, the father, mother, and those who were with him, He entered the room. Taking the child by the hand and said to her, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"

The love of Christ is reaching out to others.

The woman who was bleeding was forgotten by all the noise. Those smarter than the rest of us, yet the problem only grew worse. She knew Jesus was the answer, “If I can only touch his clothes!”

Many reach to touch the clothes of our country; so, the power of freedom, opportunity, and love flow to them. But in reality, are they forgotten by all the noise?

Jesus is the answer. All that is needed is for us to bring the loving touch of Christ to those who need it the most.

By faith, the power of the love of Christ moves through us. We can feel it, others can feel it, and it heals.

Never forget, Love is a gracious act. Be good, be holy and be gracious by the way you live and love one another. Amen.

*See Al Perotta's Article The Red Hen, the Death of Southern Hospitality and the Spirit of Destruction (https://stream.org/red-hen/)