Jesus is a loving man. He opens his heart, indeed his whole life to a variety of people who reflect a variety of personalities. Which is not to say his encounters are always pleasant. He is targeted by antagonistic, angry, and even vengeful personalities – always they are dominant rulers or those who desire the status. At worst, Jesus speaks loving truth to these dominant personalities. In being loving Jesus is entirely revolutionary. In time, people come to believe Jesus is sent by God. A revolution spreads throughout the world; God is Love. Love is God. Thus, as today’s Gospel says, “For God so loved the world he gave his only Son.”
Deities of ancient times revolved around a variety of personalities, usually of the people who invented them. Festive people invented their festive Bacchus, likewise the crafty tricksters or jokesters invented their Hermes. At the top of the pantheon however, were the heavenly dominant warriors invented by the earthly dominant warriors – Shiva, Ares, Mars, Yahweh, Allah,… Like the earthly dominators they claimed to love their people but it was an abusive love; if you obey me I will protect you, if you disobey me I will punish you. Actual gods of love were included in the pantheon but as trickster or jokester types. Often they were often attached to romance. As such they could serve as comic respite from the drama. A god of love joked about our human foibles and was, more truthfully, a god of dependency, vulnerability, weakness. Love could not be the ultimate god. To introduce belief in a God of love as THE God, would hinder the rulers’ Gods whom they had devised for domination. For Jesus to introduce a God of Love who stands up to dominating rulers, means love leaves the ancient realm of jokesters meant to entertain dominators. Love becomes a power, THE power. It is the power to reject dominator gods and replace the earthly dominators who invented them. That replacement is a constant dynamic across history. It is happening now across the U.S. As they fear the loss of their domination, dominators are waging civil wars against lovers and against love. Love is the power rising and spreading in the wake of African American George Floyd’s murder by a militant dominator. Love is the power flowing from people in the streets and flowing out to the dominators. Love is not the power shown by rulers. Recently, after speaking with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump asserted, “You have to dominate.” “If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time.” “You have to dominate and you have to arrest people… the word is dominate… we’re going to have total domination.” In truth, this ruler seeking to dominate is the joke. There is a revolution happening. Many leaders of the loving revolution are dark-skinned, like Jesus. Like Jesus, they are sharing the power of people to live in love.
“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us.” (Dorothy Day)
Prayer: Spirit of Love, you are my power in this world.
Question: What is my revolution of love, especially socially among people of color targeted for domination?
June 07, 2020 Gospel John 3:16-18 Trinity Sunday