Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8
In a profound illustration of how the world continues to turn, and how our lives are so varied and complex and bittersweet, Sunday evening Rebekah and I found ourselves enjoying a wonderful party – with people we love – at the exact moment our great friend Margie was transitioning from this world to the next (read, Godspeed Margie).
The juxtaposition is at once both startling and comforting. And also a reminder that whenever we are in the company of other people there is no telling what intersections of time and space, joy, sorrow, faith, pain, peace, hurt, anxiety, calm, optimism, belief, doubt and so much more they carry with them.
Fact is, we have no idea what is going on with so many of the people we interface with from day to day. It makes sense, then, to default to kindness, grace, understanding and respect.
Every day, celebration stands next to sorrow, grief joins arms with festivity, belief dances with doubt, peace holds hands with pain and heavy hearts are the companions of souls buoyant with joy.
Of course, in a situation such as our gathering with church friends there is typically more transparency and trust, and I am reminded of how powerful it is to be known and to be loved.
This is the beauty of community; it facilitates our most fundamental need as human beings, the need to know and to be known.
I would argue that, if we want to be whole again as a nation, we must restore transparency, trust, honesty , humility, vulnerability, sympathy, empathy, mutual service, grace and selfless love to our homes, communities and public life in equal measure.
And this must begin at both ends of the wide spectrum – both as individuals who commit ourselves to practicing selfless love, and those at the very top who must lead by example – from the grass roots of Saint James Street in Tarboro to the halls of power in Washington D.C..
Because love – and leadership – builds up, as Paul described it in Philippians:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. – Philippians 2:3-4