Interwoven into Love’s Circle

   Devotional Reflection, Wednesday, May 5, 2025

The week of the third Sunday of Easter

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s epistle reading:

5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

. . . . .

11And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

(You will find the full text of today’s epistle reading at the end of this reflection.)

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 960)

AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48

Dan. 5:1-12; 1 John 5:1-12; Luke 4:38-44

David's Reflections

How does one know that they have been begotten of God?  This question seems to haunt the writer of 1 John.  His readers obviously must have been struggling with uncertainty about their faith and their relationship with God.  This text articulates a perspective somewhat different from the previous arguments.

First, we know that we love our fellow Christians because we love God.  Previously, it was said that we know we love God because we love our fellow Christians.  It appears that we are standing within a circle as a Christian, a circle that can only be comprehended by someone standing within it.  We are both the recipients of love and the givers of love.

Just what IS this love?  Is it a sentiment?  Is it a warm, emotional friendship experience?  Not so.  There are people within the Christian community whom you and I may experience as much less than lovable in the sense of attractive and appealing.  Some of them no doubt experience us in that same way—as less than lovable.  But, as their brother or sister, we can resolve to live and relate in ways that are not destructive; We can resolve to live and relate in ways that build them up.  As Brunner once said, love is tough-minded good will.

Dare I say that at times I am anything but lovable myself? Dare I admit that my personality and my behavior can challenge another’s capacity to love me and to relate to me? Accepting another unconditionally does not make me a  hero. The person accepting me may be more of a hero than I.

How do we know that we love God?  The writer says that we love God if we keep his commandments.  Again, love is described as action, not sentiment.  We can proclaim love for a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, but if we do not express that love in action our verbal claim would sound rather hollow to onlookers.  What we do expresses our devotion and our commitment, both in human relationships and in our relationship with God.

Gerald May in his profound book, The Awakened Heart, asks what is the most basic orientation of our lives; he answers, our intent.  What is your and my intent today?  Is it to live in loving ways toward God and others?  Once we settle that question, then we can ask how we will put that intent into practice today, what specific concrete ways can we find to express the intent to love?

May wrote:  " . . . love cannot be a means to any end.  Love is the lightning-spirit energy of the universe; it is something we join, not something we utilize.  Somehow, there must be enough space between our desire for love and our automatic responses for us to participate in love's process.  Otherwise, we will overrun real love with our frantic attempts to be helpful.”+

So, if love is something we join, it's like being included in the circle of God's love flowing through the faith community. The circle parts, hands reach out to us and pull us in. The Triune God encircles the faith community in that limitless divine love and we stand within that larger triune encirclement interwoven in love into our community circle.

+Gerald G. May, The Awakened Heart:  Living Beyond Addiction (New York:  HarperCollins, 1991), pp.236-37.

Collect of the Day, the third Sunday of Easter

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 224-225)

Collect for the Weekdays in Easter

Let your people, O Lord, rejoice for ever that they have been renewed in spirit; and let the joy of our adoption as your sons and daughters strengthen the hope of our glorious resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Weekday Eucharistic Propers, p. 62)

A Collect for Grace

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100)

A Collect for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)

Daily Office Epistle, 1 John 5:1-12 (NRSV)

5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. 7There are three that testify: 8the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. 9If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.

10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer