Proper 11, Year C

God Loves You

Readings: 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a; Psalm 5:1-8; Galatians 2: 15-21; Luke 7: 36-8:3

To love as God loves is the Christian call. It is a call to "do" acts of love. We all know that. But let's face it; most of the time, doing the loving thing does not come easily or naturally. It does not always leave us with warm or peaceful feelings. Truly, it is often the way that requires the most effort to accomplish. It is far easier to find other ways to get people to do as we think they should. Fear, punishment, manipulation, come to mind as pretty normal tactics.

Don’t you just hate to hear someone say, “I’m only telling you this out of love”? Or even worse, “God told me to tell you…” You know that the ‘advice’ comes with an expectation that you will not only listen to what is said, but you will change your mind and do as is suggested.

How different it is when people do act out of love, for true acts of love are responses to the unconditional love of God. They come from our utter dependence on God who is love.

The gospel is just such a story. The unnamed woman in the gospel reading accepts God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. There was a party given by a rich Pharisee in honour of Jesus. While they were reclining around the table, the woman, uninvited, and whom we are told led a sinful life came in and began to wash Jesus' feet with her tears. She dried them with her hair, kissing his feet and pouring precious ointment on them. Jesus’ host, Simon was appalled that he would allow her to touch him in this way. "Can he be a real prophet," he wonders, "if he does not even recognize what kind of a woman she is?"

Even before Simon can give voice to his sentiments Jesus addresses him. “Her sins which were many have been forgiven.” It is Simon who needs to learn about God’s love. She already knows. That is what has brought her to Jesus. That is what has prompted her acts of kindness and love. She already knows what it means to be loved. That experience of unconditional love has enabled her to become a loving person.

Most of us put conditions on love. If he weren’t so stubborn … If only she would stop nagging … If only I could get them to clean up their rooms … If only he’d study harder …

And truly, we live in a materialistic society where nothing is unconditional. We become suspicious if something is offered to us for free. We ask, “What will it really cost?” And when we look into it, of course, we find that our suspicions are well founded. From our perspective, how can we grasp what is happening here in this story?

It is part of Paul’s message to the Christians at Galatia. He is responding to those who would say that it is by keeping to the letter of the law that we please God. How is it possible, Paul responds, for a human being to stand before the throne of God, perfection itself, and have any hope of being accepted? The wonder of it is that we are justified through the grace of God who offers us unconditional love. Forgiveness depends on our faith in God’s compassionate love, and not on how righteous we may strive to be.

It is difficult for us to even conceive of that. How can we be expected to understand a God who loves unconditionally? It isn’t how we experience life. We expect to have to earn our way. And the wonder of it is that God does not accept us on some basis by which we can never be acceptable. God does not grade us with some pass/fail system. God does not expect perfection. We are judged by whether we have loved or not. We are judged by whether we do the loving thing. Because we know God’s love, we know that we are forgiven. Because we know God’s love, we are able to reach out in love to others.

How do we learn that God loves us? It would be wonderful if it happened as it does on television. There was that old series, Touched by an Angel, in which people in the depths of despair heard that wonderful message, “God loves you.” Their lives were suddenly transformed. But, let’s face it, most of us don’t have that experience.

So we need to be able to say for ourselves, “God loves me”, knowing that it is not because we deserve it. It is not because we have earned it. It is not because we are clever. It is not because we are attaining perfection. To be able to say “God loves me” and stop there is the beginning of knowing God’s grace at work in our lives. It is the beginning of knowing that we are forgiven, reconciled people of God. It brings us to the understanding that we are created by a loving God who continues to find us precious and valuable.

That is what the unnamed woman did. She said to herself, “God loves me.” She knew it to be true. And so she did a remarkable thing. She wept, knelt at Jesus feet, anointed them with oil, and wiped his feet with her hair. She became a healing presence. If you consider her circumstances, it is quite remarkable that she was able to understand how loved she was by God.

Today we have been asked to consider a partnership with the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund on a water initiative. PWRDF is the Canadian Anglican response for emergency relief, development and justice. The pooling of our Anglican resources makes a difference in the world. Clean water is a gift we often take for granted and a gift that is not shared by our First Nations communities in many places. The young people in Orono have already begun to partner with them for clean water in Pikangikum, a First Nations community in northern Ontario where living conditions are well below even third world standards. It is affecting every part of the lives of the people of that small community.

Their standard of living is a disgrace to every Canadian. The high rate of suicide amongst the young people in the community is unconcionable.

There are many people who will be like Simon. “They got themselves into this mess. There is nothing we can do for them,” they will tell us. “Besides if you give them anything they will buy alcohol with it.” They will tell us that anything we try to do for Pikangikum will be useless. It is a systemic problem and will always remain a problem. And truly we do know how difficult it is for people who have been abused to accept help and begin to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of their families. Their situation is not new. It goes back generations. It can be traced back through some of the worst abuses in Canadian history. We have a terrible legacy with our First Nations people. Many are victims of the Residential School system. Their lives are certainly symptomatic of systemic abuse. It is time that we did everything we can to help them to understand that they are of value, that they are loved, that they have the capacity to love. This project can let one small community know that we care.

In the hall is set up a Powerpoint presentation that I hope you will take the time to watch before heading out to the picnic. As we celebrate God’s gift of water we will remember in prayer Pikangikum and other similar communities. I hope that you will consider a gift to the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund.

It begins with saying to yourself, “God loves me.” Say it over and over again until you believe it. But don’t stop there. Believing that God loves you is just the beginning. You are called to share that message with others, to reach out with that same loving spirit. Become a healing presence. See Christ at work in others. Share the love of God with those in need. Pass on that message of love. It is a message that is sorely needed in our world.