Abiding

John 15:9-17

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

A number of years ago now… you know… BC… before Covid, Kelly and I went to New York for our anniversary.  Of course, people were everywhere… bumping together, weaving in and out... all packed in close together… headphones in, head down, don’t-make-eye-contact, in a rush… you know what I’m talking about.  At first it looked like a sea of people, but that particular sea, was only six inches deep. 

  

Then we saw this cute little girl… maybe five or six.  Bright polka dot dress… looking all around… her clear, gel sandals slapping on the cement sidewalk with each step.  With one hand she held her mother’s finger and in the other, a half-eaten sidewalk vendor’s hot dog.  She suddenly reminded me of Brandon Stanton’s project called “Humans of New York.”  Have you heard of it?  He takes pictures of people, but more importantly... he takes TIME.  He connects with people past the headphones, past the safety stare, past the bustle and the rush... and he ABIDES.  He listens deeply and intimately to a piece of their story normally stored somewhere safely deep inside.  Then, with their permission, he shares their photos and their stories and in them it’s clear that through his abiding, he and his subject have found the profound joy God which created us all to experience when we genuinely connect with another person and with God.  

That little girl reminds us all of a profound truth.  The reality is that all of us… we’re all ALREADY connected.  We’re ALL, ALREADY abiding with one another.  God has already connected all of us, deeply, intimately and permanently through God’s love.  We share it all already... the same earth, the same air, the same hopes and dreams... the same uncertainties and fears... the same tragic brokenness and the same resurrection promise.  As Richard Rohr says, “We cannot ATTAIN the presence of God, because we’re already totally IN the presence of God.  What’s absent is AWARENESS.”

I think we all do our own local version of the New York headphones in, and head down routine as we go through life.  We’ve convinced ourselves that we need to keep our heads down and push ahead, so that neither God nor the people around us will get to know who we REALLY are deep down.  No one will be able to see me any deeper than the surface.  We fear, of course, that if they actually DID get to know us deep down we would not…  or could not… be loved.  

  

But this lesson insists that at least when it comes to God, “You did not choose me but I chose you.”  God knows us completely already… deeply loves us and always WILL love us… completely, even knowing the parts we hide in the deepest recesses of our being.  God is abiding with US… right now!  When we choose out of fear NOT to return that abiding... we don’t stop God from knowing us... we only stop ourselves from experiencing the complete JOY and peace that comes from being totally connected to God.  

So… don’t do that!  Let go of the fear and bathe in the JOY!  It’s there in the presence of God, the love of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.  It’s always been there, since before you were a twinkle in your mother’s eye and it will be there forever!  “Fear NOT,” as the angels always say!  You have nothing to fear and only another moment of joy to loose! 

So let it in!  Love God as God has first loved you!  Then, from there, begin to love one another in that same way.  Love one another… ABIDE with one another.  Risk a little bit more of yourself with one another each day.  With practice you’ll find that by abiding with one another… taking the time… getting to know one another more deeply… you’ll find that joy builds upon joy.  THAT is the purpose of Jesus’ command for us to love one another… Jesus wants us to fully experience the abundant life and joy we were all created to live.  Amen.