It's time to rehearse our lines
Fire, Faith, Fruit
‘It’s time to rehearse our lines’
John 13:31-35
BY REBECCA VARDIMAN
Years ago an article in USA Today described an interesting idea for stressed out, overworked doctors – acting lessons.
Patients felt better when doctors at least acted as if they cared. The study showed that learning to “act the part” actually helped doctors develop compassion for their patients.
It may sound silly, but often when exhausted or overwhelmed, it’s all we can do to act as if we feel love for another. In families we sometimes must do our share of this “acting.”
Many who respond heroically in crisis situations admit having no time to think or feel, but simply acted quickly and decisively. I admit I also sometimes respond to a person with a compassion I don’t feel at the moment.
In the Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment – to love one another. It’s not really new until you get to “just as I have loved you.”
Jesus is their acting coach and they are to follow his lead. He has shown that love in his openness to all comers – poor and rich, sick and healthy, old and young, sinners and saints. And he has gone beyond feelings of love to actions that love – hugging children, comforting the hurting, feeding the hungry, walking with the doubtful.
Now Jesus sits at the supper table with his friends for the last time. Judas has just stepped out to trade their friendship for loose change and the rest are still more interested in what’s in it for them. Jesus has to be completely aware of all of this.
How does he really feel at this point – is he tired? Frustrated? Discouraged? Does he have that all-alone-in-a-crowd feeling? And yet, as John says earlier, “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
We’re still just weeks away from that joyful, gorgeous celebration of Easter Sunday. So why are we suddenly back in that upper room again? You tell me – the lectionary is often a mystery. But it seems that, although we are Easter people blessed to live in the time between the resurrection and the final
coming of the Kingdom of God, we’re forever needing to relearn our roles, rehearse our lines.
When asked why bad things happen to good people, all I can say is that God declared creation to be good, not perfect. This is a very good place to learn to live and love and grow to be more ready for the perfection of the Kingdom.
Imagine yourself at the supper table with Jesus. Who is that sitting across from you? Is it someone you didn’t expect to be here, someone you don’t care for, much less love? And what is Jesus saying? “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Not, “do this if ever you feel like it, won’t you?”
If it were anyone else saying this, I think I could say no, but Jesus. . .?
The Rev. Rebecca Vardiman is the pastor of Frostburg UMC.
‘It’s time to rehearse our lines’
John 13:31-35
BY REBECCA VARDIMAN
Years ago an article in USA Today described an interesting idea for stressed out, overworked doctors – acting lessons.Patients felt better when doctors at least acted as if they cared. The study showed that learning to “act the part” actually helped doctors develop compassion for their patients.
It may sound silly, but often when exhausted or overwhelmed, it’s all we can do to act as if we feel love for another. In families we sometimes must do our share of this “acting.”
Many who respond heroically in crisis situations admit having no time to think or feel, but simply acted quickly and decisively. I admit I also sometimes respond to a person with a compassion I don’t feel at the moment.
In the Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment – to love one another. It’s not really new until you get to “just as I have loved you.”
Jesus is their acting coach and they are to follow his lead. He has shown that love in his openness to all comers – poor and rich, sick and healthy, old and young, sinners and saints. And he has gone beyond feelings of love to actions that love – hugging children, comforting the hurting, feeding the hungry, walking with the doubtful.
Now Jesus sits at the supper table with his friends for the last time. Judas has just stepped out to trade their friendship for loose change and the rest are still more interested in what’s in it for them. Jesus has to be completely aware of all of this.
How does he really feel at this point – is he tired? Frustrated? Discouraged? Does he have that all-alone-in-a-crowd feeling? And yet, as John says earlier, “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
We’re still just weeks away from that joyful, gorgeous celebration of Easter Sunday. So why are we suddenly back in that upper room again? You tell me – the lectionary is often a mystery. But it seems that, although we are Easter people blessed to live in the time between the resurrection and the final
coming of the Kingdom of God, we’re forever needing to relearn our roles, rehearse our lines.
When asked why bad things happen to good people, all I can say is that God declared creation to be good, not perfect. This is a very good place to learn to live and love and grow to be more ready for the perfection of the Kingdom.
Imagine yourself at the supper table with Jesus. Who is that sitting across from you? Is it someone you didn’t expect to be here, someone you don’t care for, much less love? And what is Jesus saying? “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Not, “do this if ever you feel like it, won’t you?”
If it were anyone else saying this, I think I could say no, but Jesus. . .?
The Rev. Rebecca Vardiman is the pastor of Frostburg UMC.
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