What's it like there? Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35

%th Sunday of Easter Year C
Salvation came into the world. He name is Jesus. When Jesus came, the timeless God who is always one with the father, entered into our world. Some people followed him. He healed, many rejoiced. He taught, others rejected him. He was crucified and rose from the dead. The story of God entering into our time and space teaching, healing, dying, and rising is the core of our faith.
As Christians we look back to the words passed on by Jesus earliest followers. We read the ancient words of the first Christians and have opportunity to hear their stories about Jesus and the things they heard him speak.
Listening today we hear a very real invition from Jesus to his first hearers, and to us today to live now, here on this earth in our time, acting out of love. Our human experience is always limited. We're mortals afterall and the very real boundaries of space and time are hard and fixed, for us. Any cemetary will testify clearly about human limitations. In Jesus we meet the very real God who chose to enter into time and space as we know it and who left our earth returning to the father.

Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:33-35 NRSV

I give thanks today because God's not limited by such simple boundaries like we are. Acting out of love doesn't make us into little gods. Loving as God love us connects us with our fellow creatures as God intends. When we believers act out of love for one another and act with compassion towards our neighbors everyone can see that we are Jesus disciples. I give thanks that God has a plan to make all things new.

See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.” Revelations 21:3-4 NRSV

May God help us to live in faith and hope and love until he makes all things new. AMEN.