LOVE ENDURES

Nehemiah 1:1-3:14; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 21:4

“‘Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.’ When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said, ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel.’”

“And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.”

“In panic I cried out, ‘I am cut off from the Lord!’ But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.”

The sun rises on a desolate scene. Against the dawn’s backdrop, Calgary’s silhouette is marred by three naked spires. Arms down, these remnants of Roman crosses point upward in seeming mockery of Heaven itself. The sky is a heavy, damp gray. A few feeble rays of sunlight pierce the clouds, but their presence only adds to the sense of overwhelming futility engulfing the land. An occasional priest can be seen from just outside the Temple quietly sweeping up debris from yesterday’s earthquake. Most inhabitants of Jerusalem have retreated into the dankness of homes which this day seem more like cells than houses. Numbness and bewilderment permeate every wall. Eye contact is seldom made; each man and woman fears the despair and desolation their neighbors’ faces convey. All the hysteria and emotion of the day before has drained the earth. Roman guards shiver in the early morning hours from a chill they do not fully understand as they maintain a senseless watch over a sealed tomb. Everyone knows dead is dead. It is finished, truly. Hope has died a bloody, violent death.

What does love do with a scene like this Saturday morning? No words of consolation are sufficient. No magic wand can make the situation any better. No compass points in a meaningful direction. No meaning can be drawn this day from the tragedy of Good Friday. Everything is just too close. There are times when loss and devastation threaten to overwhelm us, no matter who or Whose we are. After the funeral, the donated meals will, at some point, have been eaten and the dishes returned. The phone will no longer ring, and the mailman will go back to delivering just the usual bills and ads. We may find ourselves alone, and feelings of abandonment and betrayal can become very, dangerously real. What does love do when “It is finished?”

When life comes to a dead end and joy to a dead stop, what can love do? In times of tragedy and despair, even love may have limited options. Certainly, neither feelings nor emotions can masquerade any longer as the real thing. All the dross of life is burned away. We are either left desolate or…. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves today, even though the temptation to rush past Saturday is strong. We need to consider our situation. We need to take a day to examine what faith means. Most of all, we need to consider love’s options.

In the darkest hour of the night, even faith and hope may pass away. Love endures. When we are down to our final option, love endures. The crucible of flame through which it passes may change love (more accurately, it may change our perception of love), but love nevertheless endures. It cannot be extinguished. Our pain may be great, yet love’s power to weather the storm is greater. Love endures because, in times of trial, true love will mature and return to its Essence, transforming from a sentiment to a state of being. In other words, the Holy Spirit (God) really is Love, and His love abides and endures all things. It sticks around, living inside us. Our part is just to cling to it. Reach inside and grab hold, particularly when there is nothing else to hold onto. Learn to really rely on Christ’s transforming power, even when it can’t be seen or felt.

Comfort ye, people. Love endures. Love cannot be destroyed, even by crosses and whips and chains. Nor can we, with the Spirit at our center. Today is a day for retreat and reflection. Even Jesus spent one full day in the tomb. We should not feel we are immune from tragedy or disappointment, nor should we rush to escape, however uncomfortable our situation may be. For today, let’s just stay put, and endure, experiencing the love of our Father in a different, somewhat counterintuitive way. Strange and wonderful things sometimes happen inside a tomb. Let’s not be in such a hurry to leave that we miss the blessings of a Love that endures all things. Let’s give Love the time it needs to transform for us from a mere feeling into the Constant Companion that is the Holy Spirit.