In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Jesus spent most of his time on earth modelling a way of maintaining good relationship with God, a way of seeking justice for those in the margins of society and a way of living in harmony with God’s creation. With many teachings and his active ministry, he tried to form a moral community. The Bible tells us that he chose 12 ordinary men whom he later called friends, because he shared with them all that God revealed to him.[1] He was not interested in creating a social group just to hang-out with, he was building a group that will effect change and thus change the world view of their time.
All the time when he spoke to his disciples calmly and sometimes harshly, Jesus was building their individual characters that thus they would become a moral group that will be committed to love and serve God in the world. But that commitment was to be based on their common love for God and for each other. This is rather easier to say than to live into. As Benedictine monks, we take the vow of stability, and it is a big commitment. Because what we are essentially saying is that no matter what, we are going to put up with one another for a lifetime. No matter our backgrounds, characters or temperaments, we are going to be committed to each other. So, buckle up boys, you are stuck with me. You going to have to put up with my nonsense for a very long time, and I too have to put up with yours. And when we have love for one another, the world will see that we are followers of Christ.
Jesus left his disciples with one instruction to live by, to love one another. Now the community is formed. Now they must put up with each other for a long time. They must carry out the mission of God to the world. They must also put into practice what they have learned from their master. And when these individuals have love for one another, they will become a loving community that can be seen by the world. And when the world sees a bunch of strangers coming together, it will get a sense that unity is possible. And the book of the Acts of the Apostles attests to the fact that they adhered to the principle of love and shared it with other nations.[2] They remained faithful to one another,[3] and God’s glory was seen through them.
Today is the last day of the Colloquium here at Volmoed. The sisters and brothers here present have been talking about the Nicene Creed. I will be interested to learn about the impact your discussions will bring to our world. How would they reflect the glory of God?
Those of you who attended the Thursday services here at Volmoed during Lent, will remember that John and Bob have been talking about different sections of the Nicene Creed. Bob mentioned some interesting things about the Jesus in the Creed.
(The Creed) says nothing about his ethical and religious teachings, the community of followers that formed around him, the miracles he performed, his relationship with the Synagogue and the Jewish religious leadership. Nothing about his proclamation of the coming of the Reign of God or his announcement of the Day of the Lord. None of this seemed important enough to the writers of the Creed to be included. And it creates a kind of detached Jesus, with no real human relationship with you and me, and with the church and the world.[4] And Bob continued to ask: where is the Jesus who taught us to love God and our neighbour as we love ourselves; who taught us to love our enemies? Where is that Jesus in the Creed? Bob, I pray that your cry for a loving and more intimate Jesus can be heard.
Jesus’ theological reflection was very simple, yet deep: love one another. He did not talk about the importance of the Bible or a carefully constructed creed. The New Testament would not even be written until two generations after Jesus’ death and the Nicene Creed would be hammered out by some theologians over the next 350 years. The Bible and the Creed would become important to human beings over the years, while the one thing most important to Jesus would get lost as Christians wrestled with power and orthodoxy.[5] Christ was not concerned about who held correct beliefs. His way was the way of little children, not the way of learned theologians or intelligent preachers. “Little children,” he said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another”.[6] This should be the foundation of our faith.
The commandment is not about how or what we believe, it is about how we ought to live with one another. May we be committed to one another so that we can reflect the glory of God to the world. Amen!
[1] John 15:15
[2] Acts 11: 1a
[3] Acts 2:42-47
[4] The Nicene Creed: sermon by Rev. Dr. Bob Faris
[5] Gary D. Jones, “John 13:31-35: Pastoral Perspective”, in Feasting on the Word: Lent through Eastertide (Year C Volume 2) , edited by David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor.(Kentuky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 470.
[6] John 13:34