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We’re still in the afterglow of Easter, Good Friday, and Maundy Thursday. But to truly celebrate these, we need to realize the significance of the most neglected day: Maundy Thursday, the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his followers before the spiritual thunderstorm of Friday and Sunday erupted. That meal has become communion, the Lord’s supper, the eucharist: some bread and wine to remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice. But two dear Christian friends, Cecil Murphey and E Wayne Kempton, combined to change my view. First, here’s an excerpt from a newsletter Cec wrote.
“I’ve slowly awakened to the reality of the biblical commands about human relationships, such as forgiving, doing good, and caring for the fatherless and widows. The change began when Alvin (not his real name) introduced himself, and he asked the first of several routine questions. I’d already overheard him grill another man, so I knew what was coming.
‘Do you believe . . .?’
If I answered each of them in the affirmative, he’d accept me as a Christian. Instead, I interrupted him and said, “Tell me how being a Christian has made a difference in your life. Tell me what you do positively that shows people you’re a true disciple.”
He stared at me with a dazed look. ‘You’re impossible.’ He walked away.
The one command I see sprinkled through the Bible is to love others. ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:34-35). In publishing, we have a cardinal rule called ‘show, don’t tell,’ in which we urge authors to draw word pictures that express emotions instead of telling us how people feel.
I don’t care much what people say about their faith; I want to see their beliefs demonstrated.”
Wayne added to the ultimate importance of behavioral change as a consequence of Easter in a Facebook post, “‘Maundy’ is from mandatum (Latin), meaning ‘command’ or ‘mandate.’”
So allow me to make Jesus’ words more specific: “A new mandate I give you.” A bit stronger than the already strong command, isn’t it?
And to wildly paraphrase the old Tina Turner tune, “What’s emotion got to do with love?” Because God loved the world, he gave Jesus. Action. God showed his love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Action.
If we claim to follow Jesus, then we are mandated to act in ways to benefit others, including our enemies, our political opponents, even our family members that annoy us. We respect them. We don’t talk down to or insult them. We recognize the innate value that God gives every human. When we can, we meet the genuine needs of the poor, undereducated, unemployed.
Why? To show our love of God, not just tell about it. No, these acts don’t result in faith, but are results of genuine belief.
A mandate.
Kick Starting the Application
Here’s a challenge. For the next week, try to evaluate every interaction with others on one simple basis. Would they interpret what you said or did as an act of love? Then go back, and discover what you’ve learned about how you act your faith.
And, if you’re particularly courageous, ask some of those you interact with directly if they experienced love. Then do what’s an act of faith.