Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?
You call us to recognize you in the least brothers of yours. You say, "love your neighbor as yourself." Sometimes we imagine loving you as something separate. You are holy and set apart. Can when not lose ourselves in worship of you and forget the problems of this broken world? We think that we want to forget ourselves, not love ourselves. We imagine that we can focus on you more perfectly if we forget our neighbors as well. But you tell us that this not only isolates us from others it isolates us from you, too. You say, "Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy." You say, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (cf. Joh. 13:34). Holiness means to be set apart from the profane. But it is not a solitary thing. You are holy and you are three in one. We learn from you that we can love ourselves, our neighbor, and you. We learn that there is no path to holiness except this.
This is why you call us to love in a way that is not merely passive. You tell us not to bear hatred for our brother and this is the easy part to accept. We are happy to except a definition of freedom and morality that does whatever it wants provided it does no harm to another. Even Google was happy to take "Don't be evil" as a corporate slogan. But you call us to more. You say that we may even have to reprove our brothers. We are called to an active concern. We are called to a concern that is like your own. It does not simply let us go our own way but lays down its life for us. It is not content to see hunger, and thirst, sickness and imprisonment. It is a love which engages, which changes and transforms the the world.
You call us to this and remind us, "I am the LORD." You call us to this way of living because this is who you are. You are calling us to enter into your own love. Even as you call us to love one another you are at the same time calling us to union with yourself. This is why John reminds us that "we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments" (cf. 1 Joh. 2:3). Keeping his commandments proves that his grace is at work within us empowering us to keep them. Only united to you, LORD Jesus, can we love in the way we are called to love. Without this union we are frustrated by our attempts to love. But united to you we find joy in your law:
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
You are the LORD, Jesus. You call us to something even greater than imitation of your love. You give us the love with which we love both you and our neighbor. It is possible because we share one Spirit with you (cf. Eph. 4:4). "Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life", even the words of your law, when we are united with you.
You are so good LORD. We long to be at your right hand. We long to here you say "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." You are the shepherd who is pleased to give his sheep the kingdom. You say to us, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom" (cf. Luk. 12:32). We never want to here you say, "Depart from me". We desire you presence, so we stay amidst your sheepfold. We desire your presence, so we go with you to seek and save the lost.
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