The Way of Love: Walking Together in Faith and Community
By The Rev. Nathan Ferrell, Rector
“Now faith, hope, and love remain - these three - and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13.13)
In his book titled Why We Can’t Wait, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “We are [all] caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Although I and my family may be moving away to another place, we are still bound together in that single garment of divine destiny. We always will be. This is even more true when we consider our common bonds within this particular Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement. Our Episcopal Church is relatively small and unique. I am so grateful to be part of this Episcopal network of mutuality with all of you. The ability of our Episcopal Church to hone in on what truly matters most is something to celebrate.
As Saint Paul said many years ago, love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts. We have come to understand that the Way of Love IS the Way of Jesus. We must never get distracted from this most basic reality.
Our society is now facing changes that are bewildering to many. This is why reactionary voices calling us to return to some mythic past have gained increasingly larger audiences. But be assured, the rate of change will only increase. Humanity is facing truly unprecedented challenges ahead that will require the best we have to offer. How can we make this happen? How can we be part of the solution? By continuing to walk together in the Way of Love.
On the practical level, what our society will need from Saint Mary’s more than anything else is to be a place of trust and safety. If ever there is someone who feels lost or afraid, unloved or insecure, threatened or vulnerable, Saint Mary’s (and the Episcopal Church as a whole) ought to be well-known to them as a place of trust and safety to which they can turn. And if they turn to us for help, then we will help them to be safe and to become the best possible version of who God created them to be – no matter who they are. In a way that is unique in our society, we must be that place of trust and safety. Nothing matters more than this. It is how we turn the Christian ideals of agapé love into practical reality.
As I write my final letter for the AVE, this is my prayer for you at Saint Mary’s. Stick together; resist the divisive voices which seek to tear us apart. Stay faithful; remember the teachings and example of Jesus and the saints like Francis and Clare of Assisi. Practice love; look at the world with the compassionate eyes of God. Be grateful; be conscious of all the blessings surrounding you continually. Be generous; freely you have received in abundance, so freely give. Grow Saint Mary’s to be that place of trust and safety for whoever may walk through the doors or may need your help. And may the peace of God be with you always.