A Love Letter For the Ages; 2 John 1:1-6

 

Rev. George Miller

June 13, 2021

2 John 1:1-6

 

Today we encounter an intimate letter; a love letter.  A letter from a man of sophistication to a certain lady and her children.

 

But who is this lady; who are her kids?

 

No one knows the answer, so for 2,000 years there has been speculation.

 

Is the lady in question a real flesh and blood woman, a matriarch who has a family to care for?

 

Is the lady in question actually a term of endearment for a non-human entity?

 

Such as how we call boats and cars “she” and we think all dogs are “he.”

 

If this is the case, the lady in question may be the church the author is writing to, and the children are its members.

 

Or is the lady in question a real flesh and blood woman who also happens to be the head of a church, and that “children” can refer to her actual kids, her staff, and her membership?

 

Could the answer be “yes” to all 3 at the same time? 

 

It’s possible, as many of the early churches took place in the homes of wealthy women, some who were widows.

 

We don’t know the answer, but what we do know is that here we have a love letter, a faith-based love letter.

 

“The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth… because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.”

 

Wow.

 

How romantic.  

 

To the lady I love in truth.

 

It sounds like a letter written in WW2 from a soldier to his beloved back home as she rations her groceries and draws an imaginary hosiery line up the back of her calf.

 

It sounds like a letter Martin could have written Coretta while in Birmingham.

 

To think that before e-mails and text messages and smiley face emojis that people used to write this way.

 

So eloquent.  So powerful.  So full of poetic love.

 

“To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth.”

 

It feels as if no more words are needed to be said.  That we can just bask here in the beauty of the message.

 

Lady.  Love.  Truth.

 

What makes this even more beautiful is understanding what the author means when he says “truth.”

 

He is not referring to fact.  He is not referring to yes or no.  He is not referring to 1 plus 1 equal 2.

 

When the author refers to truth, he is referring to one reality- Jesus Christ.

 

For the composer of today’s love letter, Jesus is the truth. 

 

For the composer of today’s love letter, truth is the Christian force that empowers us to love.

 

So, when he says he loves this lady in truth, when he says he loves her and her children because truth abides in them, it becomes even more powerful.

 

This is not love tied solely to circumstance. 

 

This is not love solely tied to lust. 

 

This is not love that is shackled to forced conditions or false expectations.

 

This is love that is rooted in Jesus.

 

This is love watered by Christ.

 

This is love tied to the nutrients of loving God and loving neighbor.

 

This is a love that’s meant to be lush, to be green, and to produce much, much fruit.

 

“To the elect lady and her children.”

 

Imagine if you personally received this letter.  Imagine if you were to hold it in your hand.  How would you feel? 

 

What would you think?  How would you behave?

 

If Jesus is your truth and the truth abides in you, how does that shape the way you act?

 

How does that shape the words you say?

 

How does that shape the decisions you make?

 

Here we get to ask, “What does a Christian look like? What are the fruits a Christian bares?”

 

The author is overjoyed that there are those who walk and act in such a way that folk can tell they are a Christian. 

 

He gives thanks that this household is making decisions and doing things that show how much they care for one another.

 

He gives thanks that people are not just talking about it, but they are walking in it. 

 

They’re not just saying it; they are showing it.

 

Because it’s one thing to say “I love you.”  It’s a whole other thing to show that I love you.

 

Today’s reading is short and sweet because what it has to say, it says so well-

 

That if we believe in Christ, if we have truly let him in, then we will act, and we will live, and we will love in such a way that it is seen.

 

We love, and we love from the Christ that is within,

 

-the Christ who walked with us,

-the Christ who ate with the unpopular kids at school,

-the Christ who welcomed,

-the Christ who created space for those who were deemed not good enough.

 

It is the Spirit that has brought us together.  It is in God that our hope comes.  It is Christ that we are united.

 

We are all Ladies and Gentleman; we are all Children of the Lord.

 

We all have the ability to walk with the Truth inside us, in such a way that all the world can see, and the world can say “They, they are what a Christian looks like.”

 

For that let us say “Amen.”

June 6 Message- A Christian Looks and Loves Like You; 1 John 2:7-14

 

Rev. George Miller

June 6, 2021

1 John 2:7-14

 

What does a Christian look like?

 

If we were to ask you, what does an Irishman look like, you might say “red hair.”

 

If you were asked what does a Swedish woman look like, you might say “Blue eyes.”

 

If you were asked what does a citizen of Botswana look like, you may say “as if they were kissed by the sun.”

 

If we were asked what does a Rastafarian look like, you might take out your Bob Marley CD and say “Ya, man.”

 

But what does a Christian look like?

 

For a Christian is neither short nor tall, neither black not white.  Neither is a Christian male or female, old or young, wearing dreads or bald as they day they were born.

 

What does a Christian look like?

 

If it’s not in the color of their skin, or the shade of their eyes, or the twist in their hair, is there some way to say “There, over there- that’s what a Christian look like!”

 

What does a Christian look like?

 

According to the author of today’s letter, a Christian looks like someone who knows they are loved, and therefor shows love in return.

 

A Christian looks like you; a Christian looks like us when we are at our absolute best doing justice, being kind, and walking with the Lord.

 

What does a Christian look like?

 

A Christian looks like love.

 

Plain and simple, short and sweet- love.

 

Today’s portion of our letter is not meant to wag fingers, it’s not meant to judge, to shame or condemn.

 

Today’s reading is not so we can pat ourselves on the back or assume we are better than anyone else.

 

Today’s scripture is so we can know, we can really know, what a Christian look like.

 

This reminds me of the earth, it reminds me of God’s nahalah, it reminds me of a garden.

 

I don’t know about you, but since COVID I’ve taken to gardening like never before.  I’ve now created 3 flowerbeds were once there was only dirt and crabgrass.

 

The soil is a cocoa brown, made up of compost, cow manure, coffee grinds. 

 

But this week I noticed something- when the ground gets wet, when it is well water and nurtured, the earth is transformed from a dull cocoa brown to a rich ebony hue.

 

The soil becomes a deep rich black, a sign that it has been well watered.

 

This will sound like common sense to some of you, but do you know that when soil is well watered, cared for, given sun and nutrients, it does more than change color?

 

Did you know that when the earth is loved, things begin to grow?

 

Things like turnips and tomatoes?

 

Did you know that when the earth is loved, things begin to grow, like hibiscus, plumbago, and sunflowers?

 

Did you know that when the earth is loved, it begins to bear fruit like pineapple, mangos, and mandarins?

 

That when sweet potatoes are planted in the cocoa soil, they grow vines filled with lush green leaves that cover the ground, and when left alone they sprout purple flowers that brighten your view?

 

But, when the earth does not receive enough water, when the soil is not given great care, those same green, lush leaves quickly curl up and start to turn a burnt yellow?

 

In many ways we are like those sweet potato leaves, and in every way, God wants us to blossom, grow, and be lush.

 

In today’s letter, the author encourages us to live in the light.  He invites us to embrace the gifts that have been poured out by the Holy Spirit.  He extols us to choose the things that lead to life.

 

Those things, according to today’s author, are rather simple- to remember the most ancient of commandments- to Love God, and to love neighbor. 

 

To not let hate wear you away.  To accept the gifts of forgiveness.  To not confuse the ways of the world with the ways of Heaven.

 

This is a reading that seems so simple, so clear.  The author’s whole answer is basically this- love.

 

And what is this kind of love that waters the soil of our soul and makes our lives lush and green?

 

It’s the love that caused our Creator to say “Let there be light!”  The love that is the basis of all the commandments.  The love demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

 

Love is what the author encourages.  Not hate.  Not holding onto resentment.  Not withholding forgiveness.

 

Not refusing to believe that we are forgiven.

 

Love.

 

The basic of nutrients.

 

Last week we heard Paul remind the Galatian church that the fruits of the Spirit are joy, peace, and patience, gentleness, and generosity.

 

These are the same fruits today’s letter is encouraging us to nurture.  These are the same fruits the author is hoping to water.

 

See- the challenge for us, as we continue to rebuild and restore, is how do we act and what do we do while recovering from the trauma of COVID?

 

Today’s reading lays it out- don’t be so quick to judge, don’t go looking for a fight, try your best not to create controversy, but to LOVE.

 

To shine, to live in the light, to move as one, to forgive, to encourage, to cheer on, to water with grace upon grace upon grace.

 

To live as so when someone sees us, not only can they say, “They are a Christian” but also “They are Emmanuel.”

 

What does a Christian look like?

 

It’s not red hair, blue eyes, dark skin, or dreads, a Christian looks like someone who is loved and therefor loves in return.

 

A Christian looks like you.

 

A Christian looks like us when we are at our very best- praising God, welcoming the stranger, sharing a meal, doing justice, loving being kind, and walking humbly in the garden with our Creator.

 

For that, we can say “Amen.”

Note- The very beginning and rhythm is humbly borrowed from Alice Walker's bold masterpiece "Possessing The Secret Of Joy" in which the main character is asked to describe what an American looks like.  Perhaps no one or nothing else has influenced my writing, theology, and womanism than Mother Alice.  May this message be a tribute to her.

May 30 Message- Galatians 5:16-26; The True Gifts of Grace

 

Rev. George Miller

May 30, 2021

Galatians 5:16-26

 

Here we are. 

 

Today is our last reading from Paul’s painful letter to the Galatian Church.

 

For 5 weeks we have been in the world of James, the brother of Jesus, Peter, religious traditionalists, circumcisers, and all-you-can-eat crab buffets.

 

Within 5 weeks we’ve gone from mask on to mask off.  We’ve heard from Barnabas; we’ve heard from Paul. 

 

We celebrated Haitian Flag Day, and now here we are, Memorial Day Weekend.

 

Today, we visit Galatians 5, one of the hardest texts to speak on, and one I have never preached.

 

Why?  Because this is one of those scriptures that has been used to hurt and condemn whole swaths of individuals and segments of society.

 

This is a scripture that just feels like it’s some overzealous aunt wagging her finger and talking about “those people.”

 

This is one of those scriptures that is used by so-called Christians to pass unjust bills, and for so-called “prayer warriors” to show up at city council when someone dares to dream about serving alcohol in downtown.

 

To be honest, this is a scripture that makes us progressive pastors not feel so pleasant, so it’s a lot easier to ignore.

 

But no one grows by ignoring what makes them squirm. 

 

So today, we address the portion of Paul’s letter in which you can feel the moral police band together.

 

Paul has spent his entire letter trying to advocate for the freedom that comes from grace. 

 

Paul is so sure that Jesus’ death on the cross and God’s actions on Easter morn are such a turning point in history that they have bestowed upon all individuals the gift of grace.

 

ALL individuals- Slave and free. Male and female.  Buckeyes and Florida State.  Masked and unmasked.

 

So he’s so upset that other people are coming in and ruining this radical new freedom. 

 

Not only that, people are suggesting that what Paul is really saying is “Have a field day.  Go wild.  Get drunk.  Steel all the oranges you want and kick all the dogs you see!”

 

To which Paul says “NO!  That’s not what I mean.” 

 

“Grace is the freedom to do what is just, what is kind, what is humble not because you must, but because you want to.”

 

Paul is defending his message that thanks to Christ, we are all adopted into God’s family. 

 

As heirs to God’s inheritance, we are free to act as the Citizens of Heaven that we rightfully are.

 

According to Paul, thanks to Jesus, we can all now call Sarah and Abraham Mema and Pop-pop without having to cut off a piece of our skin or refrain from eating pork tacos.

 

So today’s portion of the letter is Paul’s attempt to show what a Citizen of Heaven looks like.

 

As a preacher, Paul is so slick.  He does something that is so sly.

 

He starts his list not with pleasant sounding words that stroke people’s egos, or with abstract terms that can make folk squirm.

 

Paul starts his list with very concrete actions that one can point to and judge.

 

“Fornication!” he says.  In which you can image everyone nodding their head and saying “Hmm-mm.”

 

“Impurity.  Sorcery.”

 

But if you notice, what he’s doing is referring to the people who are out “there.”  The folks partying Friday night who are too tired to make it to church in the morning.

 

By referring to folk “out there” he’s making it easy to judge, to think “that’s not me”; thus easy to listen.

 

But did you notice how Paul smoothly moves into the more abstract ethical actions?

 

Enmity.

 

What the heck does that even mean?

 

Dissention.

 

What’s that?

 

Jealousy.  Anger.  Envy.

 

Hold up now, is he talking about me?

 

Paul was fine when he was judging people getting the Tarot Cards read by Miss Cleo, but now…

 

…but now, he dares to suggest that my being upset with someone on Council or my gossiping about what so-and-so posted on Facebook is the same thing?

 

Paul is so slick.

 

He gets the people invested by beginning with an easy-to-judge list of behaviors and then eases into the real unjust, unkind, unhumble issues.

 

The things we all do; the things we’ve all done- 

 

-the roots of many of the tragic mistakes we have all made again and again and again and again that God somehow, some ways forgives.

 

Who alive has not confused material things for God? 

 

Who has not disagreed with someone to the point that they have raised their voice?

 

Who has not been part of a small group of folk that was real upset with what the larger group was doing?

 

Who has not been jealous over someone’s car, someone’s man, someone’s shoes?

 

Who has not hurt someone they loved?

 

Paul says “All these things distract us from the gifts God has placed before us; all these things can dim our shine.”

 

…but then, just when you think all hope is lost, Paul pastorally comes to the true purpose of his message. 

 

What grace is about, what grace is really about, is all the things we CAN do, and WANT to do as God’s beautiful children.

 

Patience- with one another, patience with ourselves.

 

Gentleness.  Often times the strongest people use the softest touch and calmest of voice.

 

Kindness.  Willing to take someone in.  Offering sandwich and soup.  Wearing the colors of someone’s country as a way to say “We support you.”

 

Joy. 

 

Isn’t that cool?  To think of joy as an action, not just an emotion or a feeling, but joy as something you do. 

 

Love.  Agape.  The willingness to show you care about someone by freely choosing to reach out, to help, to share.

 

I think what Paul does here is faithfully trick us into thinking he’s going one way so that we can go another.

 

He makes us think he’s talking about folk “out there” but he’s really talking to us “here” and to what’s “in here.”

 

This is a scripture best used not to judge and wag fingers, but a scripture  meant to say to say “come here” and “join us.”

 

Paul is so grateful for what Jesus has done on the cross.  He’s so ecstatic about what God did on Easter day.

 

He just wants everyone to know who they are and to embrace the gifts God has given.

 

Paul is not perfect.  His theology is not always clear. 

 

Paul’s words have often been twisted and turned into what he did not mean.

 

But this is clear- Paul believes that in Christ we are free.

 

He believes that in Christ we are recipients of grace.

 

Paul truly believes that in Christ we are sisters and brothers; we should live in such a way that others see us in action and say “I want to experience too.”

 

Emmanuel United Church of Christ, in Christ we are One.

 

We are more than our past.  We are more than our future.

 

We are indeed beautiful pearls on this shimmering island called earth.

 

Christ has set us free.

 

Let us live as if we believe that to be so.

 

Amen and amen.