Torridge Coastal Mission Community

Reflection from Rev Alison Roberts

John 15:18-21

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[ a ] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. (NIV)

At the time that the New Testament was written, the term 'hate' didn’t really carry the overwhelming negativity that we associate with the word today. At the time 'hate' simply meant a 'lesser degree of love'. It wasn't as harsh a word as we associate it with nowadays. Jesus uses the word 'hate' therefore as a feeling to be aware of and work with.

If the world hates you, it doesn't necessarily mean that the whole world is against you, but we may indeed feel less loved at certain times. That lack of love we may experience can lead us to feel lonely at times. Frederic Leighton’s painting ‘Solitude’ presents us with the figure of a woman looking fed-up or is she deep in thought. She has shed a dark cloak and is sitting in a bright white dress, with bare feet.

It’s an image that invites us to wonder what she is thinking about, maybe it resonates with your own moments of solitude. Those moments when it’s hard to love ourselves, never mind others. I like to think that her solitude is enabling her space for spiritual reflection, time to re-think about her faith and her relationship with God and her friends and family.

Sometimes being in this world can feel lonely, as if everyone is against us. We can have these feelings of emptiness, even though we are surrounded by people, friends, colleagues, even our faith. Often loneliness has to do with the quality of our relationships, rather than the number of people we know.

In our reading today Jesus is asking us to enhance our relationship with Him; to get to know Him more; to trust Him more; to give Him more… simply to look into Christ's eyes, smile and tell Him how much we love Him. It all sounds so easy, straightforward even. And it is. But we are messy human beings who are highly skilled in making life complicated!

The Call by Joy Cowley

Jesus says, “Come follow me.”

I say,

“Lord you're calling the wrong person.

I'm not the following type.

It takes me all my time stand on my own two feet.”

And he says, “I love you.”

I say,

“Now don't get me wrong, Lord.

I do all I can within reason,

but I can't afford to go overboard.

I mean, I have to live in this world.”

And he says, “I love you.”

I say,

“it's all very well to talk about love,

but love is dangerous.

It can get people crucified.

At the best it can be misunderstood.

If I go round telling people I love them,

someone's going to lock me up.”

And he says, “I love you.”

I say,

“The trouble is, I'm not ready.

come back in a few years

when I've got my life sorted out.

by then I should have something

to offer you.”

And he says, “I love you.”

I say,

”Lord don't look at me like that.

You're making it very difficult.

All right, I'll spell it out.

I'm a sinner. I'd let you down.

I’d give my life to you

and then try to take it back again.

I'm weak, Lord.”

And he says, “I love you.”

I say,

“You don't understand what I'm telling you.

I’d deny you and betray you.

there'd be times when I'd crucify you.

And what would you think of me then?”

And he says, “I love you.”

Prayer

May the power and the mystery go before us,

to show us the way,

shine above us to lighten our world,

lie beneath us to bear us up,

Walk with us and give us companionship,

And glow and flow within us to bring us joy. Amen

Torridge Coastal Mission Community

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