“Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another intensely from a pure heart.” 1st Peter 1:22

I sit stunned and saddened this morning as I am writing this reflection. Last evening I received the news of the death of the young adult son of a good friend. This was an unexpected but an undeniable reality. I lay awake last night, both praying for my friend and his family and also thinking how unrelenting must be the thoughts of just one more chance, one more opportunity to do something, one more time to touch and embrace. Today’s reading from 1st Peter tells us that obedience to the truth (the willingness to know the truth) moves us to sincere love, love that comes from a pure and honest heart.

The truth is sometimes harsh, not only when it brings news of death, but also in those moments where we truly know who we are; vulnerable, made of dust and passing through life all too briefly. But without this truth, we can trust too much in our own self sufficiency, our own denial and delusions about ourselves and the vulnerability of life and the brokenness of our own character. Without the stark intrusion of death and undefended awareness of our own brokenness, we cannot fully perceive and accept the good news of salvation and the worlds needed for love, our love as followers of Jesus.

Jesus in today’s gospel prepares his disciples for his impending death. But they remain in denial and really don’t get it, not until it all unfolds. And they are not prepared for it. Then comes the resurrection, with this miracle the disciples begin to recognize and receive the power of the good news, and the reality of its defeat of death and death’s hold over our spirits. Without the stark reality of our sin and how it leads to death, we cannot really grasp the incredible love of God that, in Jesus the Christ, transforms us and opens us to the truth of our eternal relationship with this loving, sustaining and redeeming Creator.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to see life as it is, to see ourselves as we are and then to marvel in the mystery of our being so loved by you that we are transformed and held in your eternal embrace. And may our awareness move us to love more deeply.   Amen

Dr. Ed Mitchell