Sermon: “Love, Love, Love.”

 

Love is many splendored thing.

Love lifts us up where we belong.

All you need is love.

Love is just a game.

 I was made for loving you, baby, you were made for loving me.

Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs.

Love is in the air.

All you need is love.

Love. Love. Love.

 

This is from the wonderful movie Moulin rouge with Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman singing about a couple falling in love. These lines are from a song from that movie, called Elephant Love medley. If you noticed it is a special love song as it is indeed a medley of many songs about love, with lyrics from bands like U2, Elton John to Beatles.

All you need is love.

 

Love for one another is one of the most popular themes for songs all over the world. And today love is the theme of the readings on this first Sunday in May.

1.   Look at the bulletin cover. A beautiful loving embrace. The love between a mother and a daughter.

2.   Look at the back of the bulletin at the readings.

3.   Read the Second Reading 1 John 5.1-6 – count how many times the word LOVE is used. 5

4.   Read the Gospel John 15.9-17 – how many times is the word LOVE used? 8

5.   That means 5+8= 13 times. LET US SAY “LOVE” 13 TIMES…..

6.   Love. Love. Love. Love is all you need.

 

Love for one another certainly is one of the most popular themes for songs all over the world. I wonder if your favorite song is a love song?

 

 Love is fundamental in our lives and comes in so many aspects and forms:

-           as the romantic love between lovers.

-           Love is the love between mothers and daughters, sons and fathers.

-          Love as the grandparent love.

-          Love for our pets.

-          Love for nature.

-          Love for our country.

-          Love for food.

-           Love for Danish Licorice.

-           Love dancing.

-          Love for life itself.

So, the question of the day is: if love is so important to us then why do we see for much hate in the world?

We see war and hateful conflicts in Israel and Palestine. We witness war in Ukraine. We witness tensions and conflict around the world. South America, Africa, the Middle East – and the threat of acts of Terror and all the scenes and reports we see daily more on the news of civil unrest across our globe.

 

Love is all you need, - faith whispers.

Love is all you need, - hope whispers.

 

On a brighter and more hopeful and human side of this doom and gloom, there are so many organizations that have a mandate to try to restore peace in these places and secure humanity and civility. Organizations such as UN, Amnesty International, Doctors without Borders, Red Cross and others.

 

Dark and light. War and peace. Hopelessness and hope.

We do live in a complicated world and time, where pride, power, priviledge and human ambitions at all levels of society within a single nation, and on the international stage, so quickly can dismiss moral and abort ethical values, and most importantly basic social values and human dignity. We are often reminded of man’s inhumanity to man.

 

“Where is the love” we might ask with the words of another pop song by Black Eyed Peas:

What is wrong with the world, mama?

People living' like they ain't got no mamas.

I think the whole world's addicted to the drama.

Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma.

 

But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate.

And when you hate, then you're bound to get irate,

 

People killing', people dyin'

Children hurt, hear them crying'

Can you practice what you preach?

Or would you turn the other cheek?

 

Father, Father, Father, help us.

Send some guidance from above.

Cause people got me, got me questioning.'

Where is the love (love)

 

Whatever happened to the values of humanity?

Whatever happened to the fairness and equality?

Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity

Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

 

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down

There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under

Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found

Now ask yourself:

 

Where is the love?

 

Father, Father, Father, help us.

Send some guidance from above!

Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love?

 

Where is the love when all we need is love?

 

With all this in mind, we may think about our Gospel reading this morning: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

For us a Christians, for us to call us Christians, this forms part of our faith. It shapes who we are as children og God, how we should treat others, and it shapes our actions and reactions to what happens to us and those around us.

 

All we need is love.

Love one another as I have loved you. I wonder howe many of us truly can abide in that love and follow it every minute of the day?

To love one another does not just mean the easy love: to love your partner, parents or pets, but to love every person you encounter every day.

The homeless person, who has nowhere to live, and you just want to avoid being reminded.

The person who upset you and hurt you, and now wants to mend what is broken.

The stranger who is new in your church, who is probably so nervous that a smile could help to feel welcome.

The list is endless, and I am sure there is someone who, for each of us, believes that loving them would be the farthest thing from our mind and the most challenging task of our lives.

But love on another, Jesus said.

 

Love for one another can be demonstrated in so many ways, and there are so many wonderful acts of love and random kindness that have been shown over the past year to you and me, - and possible countless acts of kindness which have been unnoticed.

If we are to follow Christ’ teaching, or at least make a decent try, - we are to be Christ-like in our interactions with the people and allow the love that has been give not us by God and by others, to shine through in every aspect of our lives. Not just Sunday Morning, but Monday – Saturday too!

 

All you need is love, Beatles sang.

Love lifts us up where we belong, Joe Cocker sang. 

We found love in a hopeless place; Rihanna sang.

Love one another, the endless song of Christ.

 

Let us try to practice what we preach that God so loved us that he sends his son to save the world through love. Let us strive to reflect God’s love through our words, our actions, our very being every day. Let us pray for guidance from above when we cannot find the path of love, because:

Love is a many splendored things.

Love lifts us up where we belong.

All you need is love.

Amen.