12-14-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 14, 2023
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was an Indian poet, philosopher, and all-around gifted human being. At age 16, he released his first book of poetry under a pseudonym, and it immediately gained great attention. Some believed it was a collection of ancient poems that had been lost for centuries. One of Tagore's great quotes that I am continually drawn to is: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” This coming Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, Joy Sunday (don’t forget to wear pink), yet once again, it is essential for us as followers of Jesus to make the distinction between happiness and joy. A basic dictionary definition of happiness is the state of being happy, but joy is not simply the state of being joyous. It is the state of being deeply connected to the God of unconditional and unrelenting love. Happiness comes and goes, while joy resides no matter what our emotional temperature might be. 

Now some of you might be wondering how that all relates back to the quote from Tagore. Great question! In I John 4, we read: “…since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us…” Loving others is not simply an internal feeling but an action. We love one another, in part, by serving one another. And as John suggests, when we love (serve) one another, God lives in us. Actually, I think God always resides within us, but loving others helps us to connect with and embrace that divine presence. And the human response to that realization is joy.

As I serve you, Merciful God, through tangible acts of self-giving love in the world, I believe our relationship will grow as you are love. Just praying those words and naming the power of love brings me joy. Amen.