The Calling Path

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This past Sunday, one of my pastors, the Rev. Steve Poos-Benson, quoted a passage from the Book of John that I have often heard him quote before.

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)

This reminded me of one of my favorite books, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. I was given this book as a Christmas gift when I was about 20 years old by my sister’s boyfriend at the time. It is a rather short tome, fairly easy to digest, so I pull it off of my bookshelf regularly. There is a lot about this book that I enjoy but especially its opening which is a kind of handwritten "gospel" that tells the story of a messiah. In the end, the “messiah” asks those that are following him if they would do anything that God told them to do. My book is currently in a box that I had to put in storage while we are doing some work on our house but, to paraphrase from my memory, they answered, "Absolutely, we would do all that God would ask no matter what the cost. Glory to be nailed to a tree if God asked it of us." To which the messiah asks "And what would you do if God asked you to go and be happy?" which befuddles the masses because they hadn't considered that possibility.

The story ends with the “messiah” telling the crowd, "In the path of our happiness shall we find the calling for which we have chosen this lifetime."

I was reminded of this when Steve mentioned the passage from John because it seems to have a parallel meaning. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." And what has Jesus told them? "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love." (John 15:10)

And what is Jesus' command? Is it to suffer, to be nailed to a tree? No. "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12) There is, of course, more to the passage which  has caused many to say that the demonstration of Jesus' love was his literal sacrifice on the cross. But I think there is more to this statement, "Love each other," that is not about suffering on the cross.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13) is the passage that follows Jesus’ reminder of his command. But is Jesus really saying we should all die for one another? Is "lay down one's life" a euphemism for death? Or is it something else? Of course, Jesus does go and die for them but Christianity would be only a death cult if that is all this passage means. (I also find it interesting that he is speaking in the past tense here not the future. Jesus has ALREADY loved them as he wants them to love each other. He could have said "Love each other as I WILL love you." but he didn't.) 

So, there are different ways to understand "laying down one's life" that isn't about death but about setting aside our desires in service of one another. Just as there is a broader definition of "neighbor" as exemplified in the parable of the Good Samaritan, there is a different definition of sacrifice at play here. 

And I return to the Joy passage. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." The completion of joy is in service to each other. How many times does Jesus have to talk about LOVE for us to get his message? 

" ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:36-40) 

Maybe the GREATEST love is the ultimate sacrifice of your very life but there is so much love that is possible up to that point that seems more worthy of Jesus' commandment and more likely to fulfill his wish that "my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." 

If so, then, "In the path of our happiness shall we find the calling for which we have chosen this lifetime" is not a 1970s mantra that can be misinterpreted as promoting hedonism and narcissistic self-fulfillment but a CALLING to allow, in Christian terms, Jesus' joy, Jesus' "good news," to be fulfilled in you.

What is your calling? What is on the path of your happiness that is the calling for which you have chosen this lifetime? What is on your path that brings you joy, leads you to love, and calls you to serve? What is the calling that may complete the joy that has been placed in you?

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