Too much smug,
ticket-to-heaven thinking,
(I nearly called it theology),
in the fundamentalist roots
that many of us share. But,
says gospel-writer John
and those who appropriated his name
in later letters, there is only one thing
by which we are made friends
of Jesus.
If the proof is in the eating,
then the fruits are surely
in the doing, the listening,
and the obeying of the commandment.
The agápē
word was spoken often
and enacted on more than one occasion
by the man who embodies
self-giving, generosity and compassion.
This utterance at the centre
of his living,
and translated into our language,
has become so tired
that I am reluctant to employ it.
Made a cliché,
the word spills effortlessly
from undiscerning lips,
and only occasionally finds expression
through committed hands
and outraged hearts.
But, it seems to me,
this one thing alone causes God,
(however she is conceived),
to smile;
only one thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment