The One Command (Easter 2)

April 20th, 2009 Posted in writing

Jesus gave Christians a commandment simple to state but difficult to obey: Love one another as I have loved you.

He showed what he meant on Easter night when he appeared to those followers of his who’d abandoned him or denied him during the passion.  Instead of calling them to account he wished them peace, blessed them, breathed his Spirit over them, and told them to be a community of reconciliation and forgiveness.  He never once brought up their cowardice and disloyalty; he didn’t even hint at it; he didn’t wait for an apology before expressing his love for them. What remarkable generosity and forgiveness Christ showed!

Easter is a good time for us — as individuals and as a church — to ask ourselves: Are we making an effort to be loving, forgiving, and reconciling people or are we harsh, demanding, and unforgiving? If the latter, then we aren’t obeying the one commandment Christ gave us, and we need to ask for the gift of being able to imitate his generous kindness to those who’d let him down.

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