In LA county, the fires are raging insatiably and uncontrollably. Rich and poor, celebrities and nursing home residents, atheist and Christian have seen their homes razed by flames. It seems so improbably vast and utterly bereft of hope. Some sneer at the celebrities for bemoaning the loss of their LA mansions. Some have jeered, seemingly delighted, proclaiming God’s wrath upon what they consider a godless State. Some have questioned policy and infrastructure, ethics of insurance companies and the role of climate change.
We question and blame because there must be a reason for all this. A reason for such destruction, such devastation and utter loss. We feel so impotent against such a vast and hopeless tragedy. We are like the friends of Job, grasping at tenuous wisps of straw to explain away or justify why such incredibly horrid things could happen. We want to be helpful, but our shallow wisdom and our platitudes offer no comfort and the aid we send cannot replace the gut wrenching sense of loss. How do we fix this?
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:8-9)
We are called to “fix it” by loving our neighbor. It is a very straightforward command. It does not require equity. It does not require deservedness. It demands that we both give it freely to an enemy and that it flow fervently and relentlessly to those we love. It is simple. However, simple is seldom easy.
Love is prayer for both friend and enemy alike. It is acts of service for them. It is the act of Job’s friends, sitting silently and grieving with him after the enormity of his loss. It is the encouragement of Barnabas, brazen enough to speak out for perceived enemies. It is telling someone about Christ and it is being with a follower of Christ who is isolated and lonely. It is a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on no matter what. It is a small act like bringing a couple of bricks to steady a staircase or trash removal, meals and time and maybe even greeting cards. Sometimes, it’s donations. But it is much more than action. It is hollow without Christ and is vacant without the leading of the Holy Spirit. Love is making Christ known.
We are called to have mercy on the suffering. We are called to love them. We do not get a pass because we disagree, despise or hold a grudge. We are called to be like Christ, who turned the other cheek, called on God to forgive the Praetorian Guard and the Sanhedrin and went to the cross for all sinners, including you and me. In our service, the service of Christ is seen. In our forgiveness, the mercy of Christ is seen. And even in our tepid and feeble attempts at love, the Author of Love may be shown and His name proclaimed to friend and foe alike.
Love is a desire to see none perish. In a world that is acutely aware of its pain, Christ is healing. In a world that is shackled to its own destruction, Christ is freedom. In a world filled with desperation, Christ is hope.
The tower that is built on Christ is impervious to relentless and reckless attack. And this tower is not built on the false trappings of shallow and conditional love. It is a demanding construction that requires difficult things: forgiveness, bearing with others and loving the unlovable. It proclaims Christ unreservedly and loves in the face of undeserved favor and unbridled hatred. It mourns with those who mourn, weeps as Christ wept, and loves as He loves us.
Written by Janet Keefe
