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Gospel: John 13: 31-35
When Judas had left them, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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One of the best-known columnists in America today is David Brooks. He’s written several insightful books on character and morals, his most recent being, “The Second Mountain.”
Recently, I searched for it on Amazon and after pushing that button, “Buy now with one click,” it arrived safely at my door.
Brooks’ basic point is that there are two mountains that most people encounter in their lifetime.
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The first is quite obvious – it’s the mountain of success.
Get out of school, start a career, climb the company ladder. Accomplish all those things that our society considers important.
But countless studies have shown that when we get to the top of that first mountain and look around, the view is ultimately…unsatisfying.
While it’s important to succeed – it’s important to put bread on the table – if we place all of our eggs in that one basket, then we’ll never satisfy our hungry hearts. Something is missing.
Deep down, we know we were made for more.
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Enter the second mountain.
Brooks calls this the “eulogy mountain.” What will people say about us when we’ve reached the end of our journey?
They won’t consider the car we drove, the things we had, or the suits we wore.
They’ll ask whether or not we led a meaningful life. Were we generous to those in need? Did we show up to our children’s practice or plays? Were we a reliable friend? Did we run the race of life and keep the faith?
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In the Gospel Jesus tells us, “Love one another the way that I have loved you.” You might say he’s moving our attention towards that second mountain, which of the two, is the only one he climbed.
He never accumulated wealth, status, or property. He was only concerned about showing us how to love.
Yet his example of love can be difficult to follow.
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For example, if we examine some of our deepest relationships, we may find there’s still an element of selfishness or fear at work. Often – perhaps unconsciously – we ask ourselves, “What am I going to get out of this relationship?”
We consider the benefit that we’ll receive if such a relationship works… Or, conversely, the loneliness we may suffer if it ends.
On some level that’s natural. But it’s not how Jesus commands us to love.
“Love one another the way that I have loved you.” In other words, do not think about what you can take from someone else; rather, focus on what you can give.
That’s how Jesus spent his life. He was total gift.
“But he was God!” you may be thinking. Yes. But he was also fully human.
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Like Jesus, how much of myself do I give away? And how much of myself do I keep? How much of me is hiding behind a protective wall?
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Let’s take this one step further.
Christ teaches us that love doesn’t always lead to instant happiness. Sometimes it’s quite painful. For Jesus that meant carrying a cross and bearing our sins… But for us?
Love may demand that we accompany our spouse through an addiction … or journey with a friend who’s battling cancer.
Love may urge us to give someone a second chance, or to accept a family member for who they are – not who we want them to be.
Love is not blind; it sees clearly. It accepts people’s strengths, weaknesses, even their quirks and habits.
That’s the way Jesus loves us – just as we are – and it’s how we should love one another, without an ounce of judgment.
Who is one person in my life that can I try to love a little more? Is it my spouse, a friend, or even someone that I barely know?
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Love can be thrilling … and, at times, exceptionally painful. But the more we climb that second mountain the more fulfilled we become, because love is what satisfies our hungry hearts.
After all, when someone else speaks about us at our eulogy, that’ll be what matters; not the office we held or the letters after our name, but whether or not we loved them.
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Image credits: (1) The Second Mountain, NY Times (2) AnaStpaul (3) DTN/Progressive Farmer