God is Love

Reflection for the 7th Sunday of Easter by Patrick Carolan

This reflection was originally posted in our May 11th newsletter

 

“God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” This is the last line in the second reading from 1 John for the seventh Sunday of Easter. For me this statement pretty much sums up what it means to be Christian. We often spend a great deal of time arguing over the rules; the do’s and don’ts. Over the past 2000 years or so much has been written about what I have to do to get to Heaven. Volumes upon volumes have been written. Theologians have debated this question over and over. What do I have to do to get into heaven? Do I have to go to church each Sunday? What if I am divorced, can I get into Heaven? How about if I am gay or if I haven’t been baptized? We all spend time discerning these questions. But the answer is right there for all of us to see if we were not blinded. If I remain in love, than I remain in God and God in me. That would be my definition of being in Heaven, being in God and God in me.

 

St. Francis of Assisi recognized God’s work in creation, and loved it. He celebrated the beauty of God in creation, and loved God all the more for this gift. St. Bonaventure described the created universe as the fountain fullness of God’s expressed being. As God is expressed in creation, creation in turn expresses the creator. Bonaventure also tells us that to love God, we need to love and all that God created. And that God created everything. St Francis of Assisi also said: “If you have people who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have people who will deal likewise with their fellow humanity.”

 

Nowhere in the reading does it say to only love those who look like us, practice our beliefs, are the same color. The beginning of the reading says: “Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” What an awesome concept to have. God’s love brought to perfection in us. We don’t really have to do anything just be love. We have complicated what is such a simple and beautiful message.

 

Patrick Carolan

FAN Executive Director