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Walking with Love and
Patience
Tony E Dillon-Hansen
7 March 2018
A Vespers reflection based upon Ephesians
2:1-10; Psalm 107; John 3:14-21
Will you pray with me? May
the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your
sight O Lord, our Rock, Our Redeemer. Amen!
So we have been walking in
the wilderness of Lent for over three weeks now, pondering, thinking,
suffering, and hopefully learning.
During the recent lock-in,
the youth looked at this scripture from Ephesians.
I asked what verse stood out.
There were two raised by the
youth.
(4) “out of great love with
which God loved us”
and (5) that “by grace you
have been saved.”
Our youth thought some
important words stood out:
faith, love and grace.
Apostle Paul reminds also
that “love is patient and love is kind.”
This speaks to our theme
today of walking in the wilderness with God with love and with patience.
So what Is grace? What is
love?
The youth raised some
ideas.
Of grace, they offered the
image of beautiful dancers and talented actors.
They thought grace was spending
time with loved ones.
Of love, the youth told us
stories about a family inviting someone into their homes.
They gave examples of how
donations and helping people showed both grace and love.
They also shared how
patience, appreciation and courtesy are expressions of love.
(Perhaps someone told them
about Paul’s letter to Corinth.)
Yet, another suggested that
love and grace happen
when someone helps another
after a big fall.
These are great ideas about
how one expresses love and grace.
Even more, we also read “for
by grace you have been saved through faith…; it is the gift of God…” This extends
these ideas.
We can understand love and
grace as gifts of God. These are simple gifts.
Through faith, we may find those
gifts, right here and right now.
So if we think about what the
youth were saying about love and patience
is that grace is not only a
gift from God but ultimately an expression of God.
Further, if we are love and
patience, are we not an expression of God’s grace?
But wait Tony,
What about doing hard work
and following rules to get grace or to Heaven?
I heard this a lot growing
up.
Hard work and discipline have
benefits.
While there may be benefit to
observing “lawful traditions,”
Does that prevent you from
doing what is right?
Does that prevent you from welcoming
others to receive this gift?
So, what are you doing that prevents
you from receiving this gift?
Jesus consistently challenges
the rules and traditions,
especially when those rules
distort or even prevent God’s Truth.
Let us consider this challenge
in the context of John’s Gospel from this week.
This Gospel likes to invoke
our senses (e.g. tasting great wine, smelling large odors, touching Jesus,
hearing God speaking, or gaining sight).
Specifically, the lesson from
John 3:14-21 appeals to our sight;
we will “see” the true light
of deeds through God’s truth.
How do you think your deeds (or
your love) will look in the light?
How do you let love be in everything
you are?
What are you doing to prevent
love from being you?
Jesus says Transform and have
faith.
God’s grace is here, waiting
for us now.
If you look beyond your
suffering and wilderness,
you may “see” the light of
God peering out
-- shining upon all of our
deeds.
Consider how you make your
deeds a shining example of God’s love for all.
Is that really difficult?
Yet, this letter to Ephesus
reminds us that that is fundamental God – simplicity.
It is us, like me, who makes
that simplicity complex.
Still, the gift has been here
all the time and waiting.
That gift is right here and
now
-- waiting for us to accept.
While we are walking with God
in the wilderness,
We are reminded that
We are not alone in our
brokenness and suffering.
We don’t let the suffering
stop us from welcoming with open hearts.
For that, we can share our
gifts given to us.
Be generous and Be kind with
love and patience.
Remind others of how God
expresses love through your hearts and minds.
With your love and patience
in all seasons – not just a couple times of the year,
Embrace and welcome our
community with warm hugs and helping hands.
As the youth suggest,
show your love and grace when
you reach for others that have fallen.
That grace is right there
when we need it the most and it is a simple gift
– no strings attached and no
exceptions.
That is one way we walk with
God in this wilderness.
Again, we start by letting go
of the suffering -- like a Chinese lantern to the sea.
We share our compassion and
generosity with a hello and hug.
We share our genuine love
with patience.
Thus, we become the
expression of God’s grace here and now.
Then, we may find rest in the
wilderness.
As Children of God,
we are given that great and
wonderful gift of love and grace.
because we know that
God is good all the time
and all the time, God is Good
Let us share and be thankful
for God’s gifts of grace and love.
