It doesn't matter if your language is laced with love if
your words fall on deaf ears. Forty years later St. Clement begins his letter to the same
congregation “My dear friends, take care to do good and virtuous deeds in unity
before him, and be citizens worthy of him; or his many good works towards us may
become a judgment on us all” and ends it with “let us not be in two minds, and
let us have no doubts about his excellent and glorious gifts.” It sounds like
the noisy gongs and clanging cymbals are still drowning out patience, kindness
and rejoicing in the right. It is a sad commentary on the church that conflict
comes so easily to those the living God has loved into being, but maybe that is
because knowing in part and seeing dimly lends itself to limited love. But if with
our limited vision we fix our eyes on the limitless One who emptied himself, taking
on the servant’s form, suffering the criminal’s death then insisting on one’s
own way is much harder to do. In the shadow of the cross the love that bears,
believes, hopes, and endures moves the mountain of arrogant pride and selfish ambition
so that faith, hope and love abide in us. I think in that moment we know all
there is to know and see face to face the one who died so that love would never
end.
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