Friday 5 January 2024

Today is Friday the 5th of January, in the season of Christmas.

The Cape Town Youth Choir sings, Ubi Caritas:

Where charity and love are, God is there. Christ's love has gathered us into one. Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him. Let us fear, and let us love the living God. And may we love each other with a sincere heart. Where charity and love are, God is there. Amen.

Ubi cáritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregávit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exsultémus et in ipso iucundémur.
Timeámus et amémus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligámus nos sincéro.

Today’s reading is from the first letter of St John.

1 John 3:11-21

For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God.

Could any of us stand as innocent when we hear today’s challenging passage?

“How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” How does that challenge make you feel?

And yet, there’s a tenderness too: John addresses his readers fondly: as “brothers and sisters”, “beloved”, and “little children”. Sit with that thought, hear these kindly notes. A loving corrector. A compassionate counsellor. Might it give you some insight into the character of God?

As you hear the passage again, allow God to look at you in love and truth.

As this prayer time draws to a close, I bring a situation to God where I find it difficult to show love. I ask for God to soften my heart.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.