Which Way?

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preaches, teaches, writes about and lives what he calls, “The Way of Love.” Skeptics scoff at this stance as they point to the declining church and equate one with the other. They are looking at it from the eyes of the world, not the eyes of God.   

The Way of the World is self-preservation at all costs, merit-based blessings, material wealth and power to manipulate others for self-seeking purposes. This is what Paul calls “the flesh.” It leads to death and destruction, as extreme poverty, uncontrolled violence and global warming attest. People who live the Way of the World live in fear – that someone will take what they have away, that someone more powerful will hurt them to get ahead, that they will become collateral damage in the power wars. 

The Way of Love is the opposite. It is about using power for the wellbeing of others – including all creation. It means righting wrongs, making a way for redemption, and building a better future that does as much good and as little harm as possible. Paul says “Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God ... The whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now.”

The overwhelming reason people are leaving religion, especially Christianity, is that the church has repeatedly chosen the Way of the World over the Way of Love. What good people seek is authentic spiritual experiences of Divine Love in action. Jesus weeps that far too many could not find this in church.

Despite the skeptics, there are plenty of churches emerging who manifest the Way of Love. The more we live like we believe, the more we are living proof that Love wins. Becoming an authentic witness to the Love of Christ in action takes courage – courage to face our failings and our fears, courage to speak truth to power with love, courage to accept what we cannot change, courage to change what we can.   

We cannot do this by our own willpower alone. We need God. We need the same God who spoke through Isaiah, “I am the first, and I am the last, there is no other god. Do not fear.” We need the same God that Jesus told us to call Father, as we are adopted into God’s family by faith. By adoption we receive all the power, and all the benefits we need to live God’s love. Jesus said, over and over, “Do not fear, I am with you.” 

The Way of the World is compelling and overwhelming. The Way of Love is harder, yet far more rewarding.

Which will prevail – the Way of the World or the Way of Love? The answer is, the one we feed, and the one we let feed us. Let us intentionally choose the Way of Love, and when we stray, pray, “Help me, Jesus” to get back.

Amen.

Romans 8:12-25

Isaiah 44:6-8