What Does Love Look Like, Now?

Many thanks to Rev Janice Young, who stepped forward to offer a meditation on Luke 6: 17-36, the “Sermon on the Plain” this past Sunday. 

What does love look like in the Sermon on the Plain? Jesus is very clear. Love looks like this: “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you and when anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other side also.” ((Lk 6: 27-29)
 
This is really hard stuff! Some might say impossible stuff! Given our current political context, does that mean just giving up and giving in to the wealthy, powerful bullies in the world? Does that mean capitulating and becoming the 51st state?
“Absolutely Not! It means we get smarter about the tactics of love.” (Diana Butler Bass, Sunday Musings, Feb. 22, 2025)

Jesus teaches and demonstrates a way of nonviolent resistance to the powerful oppressors of the world. For a fuller understanding of Jesus’ teaching to ‘turn the other cheek’ I recommend this visual demonstration from Dr. Walter Wink (03 What Jesus Really Said?, min 5:25)
Love isn’t about giving in to the oppressor. It’s about cleverly calling them out for their actions. Love means refusing to hate and refusing to behave like the oppressor. Love means embracing the tactics of Jesus—the tactics of resistance and relentless love. Love means opening to the grace of God which transforms our enemies and ourselves, creating the possibility of friendship, moving us all closer to the kin-dom of God. 

What does love look like in our context at Southpoint? How are we called to express this radical way of Jesus? 

— Janice

Rev Janice Young

Did you miss it? You can listen here.