1 John 3:16-24 (NRSV)
Read 1 John 3:16-24 on biblegateway.com
Verse 16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. Verse 17How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Verse 18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. Verse 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
Verse 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Verse 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; Verse 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
Verse 23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Verse 24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Devotion
How shall we love? Jesus gave himself for us, entering into time and space, taking the risk, though his "yes" to all would be too disruptive to abide. Indeed, it was hoped his death would snuff out this radical affection for each and all and let us return to the scorekeeping that is so ingrained in our souls. Surely, some must be more important than others! How can we make sense of life, if this is not true? How can we build structures and organizations and systems that organize ourselves, if everyone is of equal value?
Yet, today, on Earth Day, our shepherd calls us not only to love each other, but to love the earth and its creatures, to consider the "It is good" spoken on each day of creation as equal to the benediction spoken on each of the other days.
Prayer
God, give us the Spirit, not only as our goad, but as our guide, so we do not navigate this terrain alone. Amen.