LOVE AS ACTION

A sermon by the Rev. Dr. Marie Sheldon

Harundale Presbyterian Church

Glen Burnie, Maryland

March 30, 2003

Text: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Scripture Passage: John 3: 14-21

One of the most beloved lines in all of Scripture are these words of Jesus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” There are three key ideas in this passage. The first has to do with how God loves. The second has to do with what God loves. The third has to do with eternal life.

How does God love? Well, the New Testament idea of love is different from the way we normally think of love. For God, love isn’t sentimental. Love isn’t even a feeling. Love is, rather, a commitment – a commitment that results in action. And the action that God took to demonstrate commitment to us is an action of giving – a giving of the ultimate gift of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God’s love isn’t passive or immobile. When Jesus said that God so loved the world, Jesus meant that God took the initiative – God moved – God acted to make something happen – to induce change.

And what was it that God loved? Jesus said God loved the world, and by that Jesus meant everyone who inhabits the planet. God’s love went way beyond the nation of Israel. God’s love continues to go way beyond the Christian Church. God’s love has no limits – it encompasses the rich and the poor, the healthy and the sick, the stalwart souls and the cowards, the caregivers and the manipulators. As Saint Augustine put it: God loves each one of us as if there were only one to love.”

And what is the result of God’s loving action of sending the Son into the world? The result is eternal life – life that lasts forever – life that has no limits. In speaking of eternal life, let me share a story with you that came to me via e-mail. It has to do with three dead doctors who were asking Saint Peter for entry into heaven and the gift of eternal life. Peter questioned the first one and said, “Why do you think you deserve eternal life?” The doctor said, “I invented the x-ray, and it’s helped so many people.” “Come right in,” Saint Peter said as he opened the gates of heaven. The Peter questioned the second doctor. “And why do you think you deserve eternal life?” The second doctor responded, “Why I invented the cat scan, which is really an improvement over x-rays. It’s also helped a lot of people.” Once again, Peter opened the gates of heaven and said, “Eternal life is yours.” Finally, Peter asked the third doctor why he wanted to get into heaven. That doctor said, “I invented HMO’s.” “Hmmm,” Saint Peter hesitated. “I’ll have to speak to the Lord about that.” When Peter returned, he said, “Well, the Lord said you could come in – but you can only stay for two days.”

Luckily, for us, that little story is just a joke. Those of us whom God loves don’t have any restrictions placed upon us when it comes to eternal life. It will be forever. It will be wonderful. It will be worth waiting for.

While we’re waiting, however, we have more to do than merely contemplate what God’s love is about. Reflection is a good thing, and it’s important for us to make time for it. But God didn’t create us for a totally contemplative life. Just as God’s love was an action that resulted in change – so must our love be an action that results in change.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to a party here in Maryland that was given by a New York City couple who are very dear friends of mine. Linda was the elder from my home church who mentored me through my seminary process. I worked as a secretary for her husband Philip, who gave me flexible hours – enabling me to work full time and go to seminary full time. In 1993, Philip was diagnosed with ALS – Lou Gehring’s diease. Most people die within three years of diagnosis. Over the years, Philip has lost more and more physical strength. He is now almost completely paralyzed, breathing with a respirator, being nourished with a feeding tube. He has very slight head movement, which enables him to shine an electronic signal from his forehead to a laptop computer keyboard, which through a computer voice, recites what he types. Linda and Philip go on with their lives. They travel, they entertain, they both work, they are both active in their community and in their church life. Linda cares for him with humor and perseverance. They are my heroes, and whenever I am with them, Saint Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians run through my head: “Love is patient – love is kind . . .” The love exhibited by this couple is not only patient and kind. The love between them is an action that has resulted in change – a change that gave Philip independence and dignity he might not have had. The love I see between Linda and Philip is a lot like the love God gave the world.

Most of us have not been presented with the challenge of living with Lou Gehrig’s disease, but that doesn’t get us off the hook. In each one of our lives, there are people who need our love as action. Look beyond the people who are easy to love – your children and grandchildren, your parents, your spouses, your friends, the people who love you back. It’s good to love them, but it’s not enough.

If God offered love and eternal life only to those who loved God back, a lot of us would be lumped in with the doctor who invented HMO’s – in heaven for a couple of days, and then booted out the back door. No – God sought out the unlovable, and in this Lenten season, it would be good for us to try to do the same thing.

Is there anyone in your life you genuinely don’t like? Maybe they’re crabby and negative. Maybe they criticize you more than you deserve to be criticized. Maybe you look down on them because they are too crass, too opinionated, not as sophisticated as you believe you are. Whatever the reason you don’t like them, God loves them – and maybe God put them in our lives so that we can be the vehicles through which God’s love can be shown to them.

It’s been said that sometimes Presbyterians talk too much. We pray out loud a lot – and we make a much bigger deal out of preaching than I believe it’s really worth. So, let’s be reflective again. We began by reflecting on how God loves – now it’s time to reflect on a way – just one way – that we can love as action. Take a few moments to think of one action you can perform in the week ahead that would change the life of someone you don’t like, and then make a commitment to yourself to carry out that action.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Yes, God gave his only Son so that we could enjoy eternal life. And now it’s up to us to love our world, and to give the best that we have. When it’s time for us to finally enter into that eternal life, we’ll hear the words Jesus promised we’d hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant . . .”

Now unto the God of all grace who has called us into eternal glory by Christ Jesus, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.