EXPERIENCING RADIANT LOVE - Don Hanley’s Blog #65

I’m afraid the concept and meaning of love in the 21st century have been used carelessly and now, seem to have no meaning. In the 21st century, we frequently hear, “I Love my car.” Or “I just love the way she walks or . . . ”

So, when we say that we must live a life of love as Jesus lived it, it conveys no meaning, or, at least, no meaning that resembles what is meant when we say, “Jesus loves us.” The Greek language helps us here – they have a particular word for the radiant, life-giving love that Jesus talks about. It is AGAPE – it is different from EROS = which is romantic or passionate love. Eros is the exclusive love that brings a male human together with a female human, and together, they help to keep humanity from dying out. I hope my Nazarene group will be open to discussing agape when I visit.

It must have been several weeks since my last visit, when I found only John, Mary, Ruth, Joshua, Julie, and their new baby boy, Isiah. John, who had gone to Jerusalem, informed me that Peter and Paul had visited Jerusalem several weeks earlier. They were still arguing about whether the new non-Jewish followers of Jesus’s teachings needed to be circumcised. Peter said it was essential, and Paul declared requiring it was a hindrance and opposed making it - a requirement. Mary was confused by the disagreement. She felt that Peter understood and fully lived the radiant love that Jesus lived, and she hoped his followers would likewise have the same experience. She thought that Paul was still learning and had a way to go to fully experience Jesus's radiance. She was sure Jesus never believed that everyone must be circumcised. After all, women could not be circumcised as men were, and she was sure many more women fully lived Jesus’ radiant love. Of course, she stated this privately only to the small flower garden group. She asked me, “Don, did this Hitler fellow also kill Jewish women?”

“I’m afraid so, and he said he wanted to rid the world of these creatures.”

“Why did he choose to eliminate only the Jews?”

“Oh, he also wanted to rid the world of dark people from Africa, homosexual men and women, Gypsys, and anyone he disliked. I think Jews were the most numerous and the kind of group he could build his cult of hatred around.” I took a deep breath and added, “I am glad and proud that we, people in my country of the United States, went to war to stop the Nazis in Germany. Millions of people had a little to a great deal of Jesus’s and Yahweh’s radiant love.” John asked, “Did they all believe that they must kill the people who followed this Hitler Emperor?”

“Most did, I believe, but some helped the war effort but would not kill people.”

Mary said, “You mentioned homosexual men and women. I believe that some Jews and many other tribes hate them also.” She turned to John, “What did Jesus say about homosexuals, John?”

“I don’t remember him saying anything, but I’m sure he did not hate them or condemn them in any way. Don, what do your Christians of the 21st century say about them?” I started to answer, and I was glad to disappear this time. So suddenly. Please . . .

Keep an open mind and heart, meditate on this issue, and avoid devouring the words while still enjoying your pancakes. Oh, and give me a comment.