Wednesday, April 20, E minus 4

to love and serve others,

Surely we expect of religion that it motivates people to care for others. That’s the Golden Rule, recognized in every religion. Does this religion lead to better behavior in relation to neighbours who need us? Who is your neighbor, and what do you owe that neighbour?

What do we expect of church, if not good works of helping other people, in health care and education and social service? We used to rely on those fundamental commitments ‘to love and serve others’ - but we’ve slipped to the other commitment to ‘me first’ – and hardly noticed the change.

Take a moment now, and remember a moment when you’ve cared for a neighbour, and loved and served them, and not simply yourself. Did you get any satisfaction from such service? Did you ever make a difference in another’s life and another’s need?

Many people think that the church is an organization that profits from others’ needs. We are accused of being parasites who need the needy to survive. Shouldn’t we be trying to run ourselves out of business, and eradicating need? Who says that food banks should be a growth industry?

Remember how you started out in this religious thing. How do you love and serve others? Who needs you? What do you need in helping and serving? What if it’s not all about maximizing our own assets and income, and includes some other measurements of ‘success’?

Will Easter be a moment of success and self-serving satisfaction – or will it be a day that shows how we love and serve others?