Dear Cathedral Family and Friends,
Can love be commanded? Our culture says no. Movies, novels, and the stories people tell show love happening “as it will,” often without our choice or will being involved.
But BIG LOVE—God’s love, Jesus’ Way of Love—tells a different story. Love is the essence of God’s will and the grounding of the Law. And, therefore, love is God’s command. God made us from love and for love. So, our faith says yes. Love is commanded.
In our gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus sums up all of Torah in a single commandment by saying: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ And…’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” In theory, this sounds so natural, but in practice it seems so hard.
In our world right now, we may hear about the first of these commands, but we don’t see a lot of the second. Maybe that’s why these have to be commandments—because love has to be an active choice. We have to learn to love by loving. It takes practice. So, give it a try this week. When you find yourself actively not loving some one, choose to love them instead. You might learn something, about love and about yourself and about others.
On another note, but not unrelated to love, we are working this week to put together protocols for the reopening of our nursery on All Saints’ Sunday, November 1. Be on the lookout for more information forthcoming. Also on that day, weather permitting, we will begin to gather for a time of hospitality, safely distanced and packaged, outside in the courtyard.
Walk in love,
Beverly+