The Final Secret
“The final secret, I think, is this: that the words “You shall love the Lord your God” become in the end less a command than a promise.” - Frederick Buechner
The theologian Frederic Buechner died a couple of weeks ago and the above quote came across my small phone screen soon thereafter. I have read some Buechner but had never seen this particular quote. It reminds me of one of the Gospel passages from John’s Gospel I often read at funerals (which we will read at Clyde Sloan’s funeral on Saturday) where Jesus is talking to the disciples and tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. He tells them that they know the way to where he is going. Thomas pipes up and says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
I have always had an affinity for Thomas. I hear an honesty and clarity in what he says and he seems to say what everyone is thinking. How indeed are we who have only known life on this side of the veil to be expected to know what to do when we arrive in the fullness of the Kingdom of God? To circle back to Buechner, how can we mortals possibly know what it means to adequately love God who is Himself the fulness of love? Can we love like God loves? Can we go where Jesus goes? Can we do it?
The beauty of the above quote and Jesus’ response to Thomas is the tender promise that we don’t have to be perfectly like God to be with God. Instead, God is the mover. Jesus responds to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” God sets the path. God loves. God has prepared everything necessary for us. In God we find our dwelling place. In God, we are given the complete wonder of God’s love. God is the mover and we are moved. We are led, maybe even pulled, into the comfort and promise of God’s complete love. As in all things with God, the good news is always meant to be our comfort and assurance. Thanks be to God!
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+