Reflections on Christian Love from St. Patrick’s Cathedral
I hope you’ll join me today as I share some of my husband’s photos from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City as well as some thoughts about love within the “universal” Church.
This is what Ron calls a “pano” and is a combination of five different photos. I don’t understand how he does this, but I sure do like the effect.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus unpacked a radical new law—The Law of Love.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 (ESV)
I appreciate sacred architecture, and both times I have visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, even though I am not Roman Catholic, I have taken time to sit alone for a while in that amazingly beautiful edifice to pray that “The Law of Love” will be experienced by Christians within the “universal” Church.
This sculpture of Atlas, holding up the universe, is located across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I love the way Ron captured the spires. It reminds me of the African-American spiritual, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”
Several years ago, I read Richard Foster’s book, Streams of Living Water – Essential Practices from the Six Great Traditions of Christian Faith. I rank it as one of the most influential books I have read. Foster articulates with wisdom, grace, and scrupulous research that the “universal” Christian Church is most effective when the six major faith traditions: Contemplative, Holiness, Charismatic, Social Justice, Evangelical, and Incarnational flow like streams into a mighty river of God’s love.
I understand not every Christian agrees with Foster’s and my perspective. I respect those disagreements, but I have chosen to not debate differences. Once when I told a very smart and wise woman I didn’t fully agree with her doctrinal position, she kindly said to me “Someday when we get to heaven, we’ll all realize we weren’t right about everything.” I very much appreciated that insight and decided that I would try most of the time to reign in discussing controversial faith opinions.
Of course, I hold certain doctrinal beliefs, but these days, I try to look for common areas of agreement, focusing on that which is “true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (from Philippians 4:8 MSG) At the core of my Christian belief is that the Three-in-One-God is sovereign and will always act according to the Trinity’s character of mutual relationship, consistently operating with wisdom, mercy, grace, faithfulness, righteousness, justice, and above all love. I figure I can trust God to sort through and judge our many differences.
This is the building directly across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Isn’t the reflection of the cathedral in the building’s windows impressive? The large photos on the first floor are profiles of artists whose work is displayed in the Eden Gallery.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. … if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1 John 4:7 & 11 (ESV)
Blessings on your journey of faith,
