A hymn we sang last Sunday sticks in my head when I read today's scripture passage. The hymn was written in 1974 by Fred Kaan and references Jesus speaking to the disciples in John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." The words and thoughts of this hymn are my hopes and prayers for us today wherever we are and whatever we are doing:
Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord, among us, and bring us to believe
we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.
Teach us, O Lord, your lessons, as in our daily life
we struggle to be human and search for hope an dfaith.
Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some,
to love them as we find them, or as they may become.
Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved
in living situations to do the truth in love;
to practice your acceptance, until we know by heart
the table of forgiveness and laughter's healing art.
Lord, for today's encounters wit all who are in need,
who hunger for acceptance, for righteousness and bread,
we need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on;
renew us with your Spriti; Lord, free us, make us one!
