Love Does

Joel 2:12-13, 28-29 Luke 11:13

“Love Does”

04 December 2016 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

            Sometimes it’s hard to see the love of Christ all around us through the thick screen of hate and anger the world pulls down over our eyes. As we anticipate the love of God coming in the form of a tiny baby that grew up with us, walked alongside us, and truly got to know us let us look for those places we see love all around us.

Two days after the recent election in the US, just across the street from the greatest institute of higher education in the world (Georgia Tech of course), the crew that hosts Inside the NBA were told they would offer insights on the election and the pain, fear, shock, and confusion that had swept over the country. Ernie Johnson addressed all of this and more with words of true love and compassion. (Play Video)

The Lord your god is slow to anger and relents from punishing.

On the morning of September 11, 2001 in San Diego a father of three children, after describing what had just occurred thousands of miles away, asked his children, “If you had five minutes in front of a group of world leaders, what would you ask them to help make sense of life, faith, hope, and the events that are unfolding around them?” His seven year old wanted to ask the leaders over to the house. The middle child wanted to ask each leader what they were hoping for. And the oldest had an interesting idea, how about the family go and visit the leaders and ask them in person and record the interview. Absurd idea, right?

            The dad realized the kids were on to something so he had them put all of their ideas into one letter and then they decided to mail the letter to every world leader. The mom and dad made a deal with the children, they would take them to meet any of the leaders that agreed to a meeting. As you would expect, the kids received letter after letter from these world leaders saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

            But, then something amazing happened. First one leader, then a total of 29 leaders accepted the offer of a meeting with these three children. So, mom and dad made good on their promise, pulled the children out of school and travelled to visit these leaders. What was so amazing is that the meetings would start out in a formal reception room as with any visitor, but had a tendency to move into the private offices when the leaders realized these kids had only one agenda; to make new friends. At the end of each meeting, the children presented the world leader with a key to their house.

            This changed the father’s outlook such that he once wrote, “I want to live in a new normal where I can reach out to people who are different from me and just be friends. Friends do—the don’t just think about it.”

            A little while later, the oldest child opened up her email and found a note from one of these world leaders: “Dear Lindsey, we miss you and your brothers. Can we please use our key and come over for a sleepover?” A world leader stayed the night in San Diego with a family that sees love as a verb.

Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

            That same family started an interesting New Year’s Day tradition in Point Loma. One of the children mentioned how boring New Year’s Day was so the father asked what could be done to make New Year’s Day more exciting (other than watching bowl games and the Rose Bowl parade, of course). After bantering around some ideas they decided to hold a parade and then have a backyard barbeque for the neighborhood in which they lived. But, there is one rule: no one can watch, everyone participates in the parade.

            They dressed up in handmade costumes and starting marching down the street. By the time they got to their home, a dozen people were laughing and walking in the parade. The crazy thing, the simple act of love and fun continues to this day, over 20 years later.

             The Lord, your God is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love.

            In 1990 the Boston Globe printed an interesting story. Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt and pored over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and picked the floral arrangements they liked. The bill came to 13 thousand dollars. They left a down payment of half the bill and then went home to pick out wedding announcements.

            The day the announcements were to hit the mailbox, the groom began to get cold feet. His angry fiancé returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet. The manager was sympathetic saying the same thing had happened to her. However, she informed the fiancé the contract was binding. She could go forward with the banquet or get thirteen hundred back on the deposit.

            As she thought about the situation, she liked the idea of still having a big party. You see, ten years earlier this woman was living in a homeless shelter. She was back on her feet, had a good job, and a respectable amount in her bank account. It occurred to her to treat the down and out individuals in Boston.

            So, in June of 1990 the Hyatt in downtown Boston hosted an unusual party. The hostess changed the menu to boneless chicken “in honor of the groom” and sent invitations to rescue missions and homeless shelters. For one night people used to going without or eating scraps from restaurants or trash cans dined on chicken cordon bleu served by waiters in tuxedos. Hors d’oeuvres were served to senior citizens standing just a bit taller on their canes and walkers. For just one night, those forgotten on the streets of Boston sipped champagne, ate wedding cake, and danced the night away.

            How much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!

            God’s love is all around us and inside us. We just need to set it loose in the world and quit trying to contain the uncontainable and indescribable love of Christ.  

(Sermon title, world leader, and parade stories adapted from “Love Does” by Bob Goff. Party story adapted from “What’s So Amazing About Grace” by Philip Yancey)