Talk about counter-cultural! “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Is that what we see when we look at the world around us? What about when we look into our own hearts? How often is love the motivation for our response to our response to being hurt by others? Even if we can muster a loving response, is it with the niggling hope that “by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads,” as Paul pointed out to the Romans (12:20) That’s something to think about as we notice Lent on the horizon.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives his listeners a clue about how to get started loving others, no matter who they are or what they do: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Love is an action verb; it is what we do, rather than a warm, fuzzy feeling. I remember the first time I heard that proclaimed from the pulpit twenty-five or more years ago. My priest was speaking as a prophet to me (and I suspect, to others), pulling me up short, opening my eyes to the reality of what it means to follow Jesus in his self-giving love. I continue to fall woefully short in responding to others with love every time, but I rely on the crutch provided by 12-step programs: “Fake it ‘til you make it,” trusting that my acting in love will, in God’s time, become love in truth. Perhaps that may be what Jesus means as he sums up his thoughts on loving actions with: “Give and it will be given to you.” It seems so to me today.

In our collect today, we ask God to “pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and all virtue.” As always, our part in the process is to be open to receive and use God’s gifts for others here and now.