Are We Listening?

The French author André Gide said, “Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

I thought of this quote in light of the scripture readings during the last two weeks of the Easter season. How many times did Jesus tell us he loves us and that we should love others? “As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love.” “This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you.” “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”

Like any good teacher, Jesus used repetition to get his message across. He expressed his love (and by extension, his Abba’s love) by healing others, forgiving them, and befriending them. He told parables about love (for example, the prodigal son and the good Samaritan), he used images (“I am the vine, you are the branches”), and he spoke of his love directly. Ultimately, he gave up his life so we might know that God is not distant but, out of love, suffers with us and raises us to new life.

The question remains: Are we listening? I daresay that a great many people are not listening to Jesus’ message of love, given the greed, judgment, disregard for the needs of others, and exploitation rampant in our world today. Yet every act of generosity, kindness, and self-sacrifice that we encounter reminds us that Jesus’ message lives on and that we, his followers, have been charged to make God’s love manifest in the world.

Listen — do you hear the love of Christ echoing through the ages? If so, how will you live in that love?