It's getting to be that time of year again to which we all look forward. Most of us are probably thinking and planning about what fun and recreational things we might do these coming summer days. Marcia and I are especially looking forward to visiting our son in Alaska and once again enjoying the novelty of 24 hours of daylight and the awesome beauty of the "Great Land," which is the literal meaning of the word "Alaska."
But for many who live in these western United States especially, summer also brings a potential negative - the threat of wild-fire. My years living in Alaska and spending some time in the wilderness there, along with some forest management experiences in central Colorado have increased my admiration and respect for those who, not only give of their time, but put at risk their lives to fight what often turn out to be raging firestorms.
One the first lines of defense are those we might call the Green Berets of forest fire-fighting - the smoke-jumpers. Smoke-jumpers are often the first to get to isolated fires on public lands, and they can end up fighting the battle for days on end. These smoke-jumpers sometimes literally jump into the jaws of hell, not ever really knowing what unexpected dangers they might encounter - but always knowing they are putting their lives at risk. One 37-year-old smoke-jumper stationed in Grand Junction said, "Sometimes I wonder why I keep beating myself up doing this!" But on the other hand there is an undeniable aura that surrounds these tight-knit teams of men and women who fight their battles in the wilderness with only a few tools including courage and wits. And often when they speak of what they do, they describe it as a calling and they speak of it with passion. One smoke-jumper who's been doing it for over 20 years said, "I've been burned, overwhelmed with smoke, suffered numerous injuries including a broken leg and shoulder, but I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I love it! It's my life!" Now that's passion!
In our Gospel this morning Jesus utters one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament. "Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples..." It's important to note that Jesus spoke these words shortly before he was about to take a jump into the jaws of the hell - on the cross.
Let's talk about love. Most of the time we associate love with warm feelings of affection, strong-attractions or good-will. We associate love with warm fuzzies and speak about falling in love and being caught up in love. When we think about those we love we would name our boyfriends and girlfriends, our spouses, our parents (today our mothers), our children, and our friends. Images of warm fuzzy love range from lovers walking hand in hand to a mother cuddling her child. Love! What a thing it is! We know what love is. Love enhances, fills and completes our lives. Certainly when Jesus said, "Love one another," he had this kind of warm, fuzzy love in mind. But he meant so much more! Often our definitions of love begin and end with this warm and wonderful kind of love, but go no further.
Some go further. We've all heard and used the phrase "tough love." It has become a cliche that means the kind of challenging and even admonishing love that sometimes is needed for the well-fare of another person. A family arranges for intervention in the life of the alcoholic father. We might call that "tough love." A parent admonishes and disciplines a child in a way that is meant to drive home the point that certain behavior is unacceptable and harmful to self and others. We might call that admonishment "tough love." Parents especially understand "tough love" and know what's it's all about. "Tough love" is tough for both the lover and lovee. It's not filled with warm fuzzies, but it's love nevertheless= aprofound kind of love. I believe Jesus' imperative to "Love one another," most certainly includes this kind of love.
But I want to take it one step further because Jesus took it one step further - one gargantuan step further! Jesus spoke these words just prior to plunging into the fires of hell on the cross. It was from that cross he spoke the all time greatest words of love ever spoken; from that cross he loved with the most powerful love that's ever been or will be: "Father, forgive them!" Now that wasn't warm fuzzy love. That wasn't even exactly "tough love" because the people standing below his cross that day could have cared less - at least most of them. The true definition of "tough love" is that it costs everybody something lover and lovee; but his forgiveness of them passed right on by most of them unnoticed.
"Love one another as I have loved you!" The only way I know how to describe the kind of love with which Jesus loved is not "tough love," but rather "Love is tough!" That's just it. Love is tough! Love is tough! Love is hard! Love is difficult! We might say that Jesus loved with a smoke-jumping love. He loved with a love that leaps from a place of security into a place of insecurity and it digs, fights and saves.
"Father, forgive them." Forgive the ones who plotted against me behind the scenes; who smiled at me to my face one minute and the next minute were conspiring my execution behind my back. "Father, forgive them." Love is tough!
"Father, forgive them." Forgive Pontius Pilate for being a coward and doing the politically expedient thing by caving in to the crowd. "Father, forgive him" Love is tough!
"Father, forgive them." Forgive the crowd who stopped thinking for themselves and allowed themselves to be duped by the subtle manipulation of the power structure. "Father, forgive them." Love is tough!
"Father, forgive them." Forgive the arrogant, ruthless Romans. They mock me; gamble for my clothes, spit on me; scourge me; laugh at me; deride me, try to break me in every dehumanizing way. "Father, forgive them." Love is tough.
"Father, forgive them." Forgive the religious elite. They are so afraid to consider something new; they are so afraid to let go of legalism and let a new thing enter their minds and heart. They're ruled by fear, so much so they let this whole debacle happen. "Father, forgive them." Love is tough!
"Father, forgive them." Forgive my twelve best friends who weren't there when I needed them the most. One betrayed me; one denied knowing me; ten abandon me. "Father, forgive them." Love is tough!
You see there are fires all over the place. There are relationships in conflict. There are people hurt and grieving from all sorts of wounds and heartaches. There are people struggling and suffering in a million different ways. There are smokey and dangerous hot spots all around us. Some in our congregation. Some in our neighborhood and community. Maybe some in your family, circle of friends or place of work.
"Love one another as I have loved you." (as "I" have love you) That's the key. That's the catch. That's the agony and the ecstacy of loving as Christ loved. .
It sounds a little hackneyed and cliched, but Jesus was a Smoke-Jumper, and if we name ourselves as his followers then so are we because he said, "Love as I have loved you." Jesus calls us to take the risk; to live on the edge; to plunge from places of safety and security and into hot spots that need the cool refreshment of God's love. Loving as Jesus loved will take us to some uncomfortable places; places we wouldn't ordinarily choose to go.
The name that this congregation proudly displays on our sign out front is "Holy Love." As far as we know the only Lutheran church in the world to bear that name. The word "holy" means special; sacred; unique; one-of-a-kind. Does our love for one another, and our community reflect to any degree the holy, passionately, risky, unique, Smoke Jumping love of our Savior. If everyone in this community of faith was like you and reflected your commitment to Christ would "Holy Love" be an appropriate name? Or would our community be misnamed. Would we have to change our name to something that better reflects who we are? What would it be? "Sleepy Lutheran Church?" Or "Don't Ask Me To Do Too Much Lutheran Church." Or "Commitment Anxiety Lutheran Church?" Or "Foster a Grudge Lutheran Church?" Or would "Holy Love" be appropriate? I pray so!
Do you smell the smoke? I do! There may be something burning in your own backyard. So put on your boots; slip on your helmet; strap on your parachute and get ready to jump.
One master Smoke Jumper put it this way. He said, "The job is a killer, but I love it! This is what I do!"
The same is true for all of us who follow our master Smoke-Jumper Jesus Christ who said, "Love one another as I have loved you." The job is a killer, but we love it. It's what we do!