How are you known?

 John 13:31-35 is the Gospel lectionary text for Sunday, May 15.

A new command Jesus gave them. 

Loving God with all that one has and loving Neighbor as self was taught and commanded from of old.  Here, we have Agape Love to be lived in the example of Jesus as our command.  Jesus has modeled how we are to love in the world.

All that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us is wrapped up in this Agape Love.  It is the Way of Jesus, and it is the Way for anyone who would follow Jesus.  We are called out (eklesia - church) to live a different life from that lived in the world, in empire.  We are called out to be the followers of Jesus in how we live in this part of God's reign, here and now.  If we are to be followers of Jesus, this must be our Way.  Where Jesus went, we must go.

Jesus said that we will be associated with Him by this love.  It is how others will know that we are His disciples.  Not in that we speak in tongues, worship and praise, tithe, carry big and floppy Bibles, quote the scriptures, point out how pure we are or holy or better than others.  Others will not associate us with Him necessarily because of those things.  Wow is that true!  No. We will be known as Jesus' followers simply by how we actively commit ourselves to the well-being of strangers, enemies and the most vulnerable among us (see Luke 10:25-37).  We will be associated with Jesus, not by our claims or labels, church vocabulary or church social mores, but by our committed actions on behalf of others and their well-being, especially those who are not like us and those most in need. 

There is a whole world of people who have been hurt by those who claim to follow Jesus.  Because of their race or ethnicity, because of their socio-economic status, because of their different faith practice or no faith practice, and because of their sexual orientation many have been hurt by the very people who proport to be followers of the Jesus of Agape Love, who reached out to those marginalized by society and welcomed them as His own.  These people have been judged by those who have claimed the name of Jesus and have been commanded by Jesus not to judge.  They have been shunned by some who claim to love the One who called them to welcome these children of God.  They have been refused forgiveness by those who claim the name of the One who commanded forgiveness and gave it to those who unjustly executed Him.  They have been rejected by those who claim to follow the One who was rejected for their sake.  They have even been hated by the people who claim to follow the Lord of Agape Love.  

And the world has seen this.  Many in the world have seen the example of those who claim to follow Jesus, and they summarily reject to be a part of the institutions that bear Jesus' name.  But there are still those in the movement of Jesus' Way, committed to living the Agape Love that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as God's Way.  And like in the First Century, when the Apostles actively committed to the living of that Agape by actively committing to the well-being of others in it, many see this Agape Love in action and are drawn to it.  They see a very different Way than the Way of empire and the church within empire, for they see a genuine, faithful living of the values of the reign of God.  It is an uphill climb, because they are labeled as "Christian," just like those who have walked away from Jesus' Way in the institution.  Yet, they persist in living this Agape Love in the Way of Jesus, following Jesus.  Because, ultimately, does being a Christian not mean being identified with the Love of the Christ?  For them, it does.  

I see them.  I know them.  They are known to me to be Jesus' followers because of their Agape Love for others.  I want to be with them, work with them and strive to transform the world with them, for I KNOW that they are followers of Jesus' Way.  I am with them, not in the institution that is a part of the world, but in the movement of Agape Love that addresses the world and works to transform it.  I am thankful for those who are known by their living of Agape Love.

You may proudly proclaim your faith, worship all the time, quote the scriptures, speak in tongues, tithe more than your ten percent and preach from the rooftops if you like.  But it is by this that everyone will know that you are a follower of Jesus, and this alone, according to Jesus - in that you live AGAPE LOVE with one another.  Period.  Everything else is just something else.