Fifth Sunday of Easter

Where Love is Found

The word “glorify” is found five times in this Sunday’s Gospel of John. It’s not a word that I use very often. Perhaps for most of us, it is a “churchy” word—one that lacks meaning or relevance in our lives. Perhaps we think that it is a word to describe only the relationship between Jesus and the Father.

The word “glorify” might be difficult for us. Perhaps it is because we are experiencing so much of its opposite—denigration, making others seem worthless, finding dirt on someone, smearing their reputation, seeing and treating someone as less than human. I don’t know about you, but I never look forward to political campaigns during times of electing new leaders. When do we hear an opposing candidate singing the praises of his or her opponent? Even the word opponent is adversarial! Sometimes we use the word “challenger.”

I have not been to a “Pep Rally” in quite some time, so I don’t know what happens at those. I do remember when we made rules about the “cheers” and the words we used in speaking about the rival team. Do you remember the verbs we used? Eventually the rule—the discipline to keep civility—became this: You can only encourage your own team to do their best. No talk of the obliteration of the other team!

To glorify is to lift up, to think the best of another, to wish the other well! It is an imitation and an obedience to the commandment to love one another. Perhaps honoring our mother’s last week and our father’s in a few weeks reminds us of what it means to “honor” others.

As we approach our Sunday experience of community and as we approach both the hearing of The Word and the table of the Eucharist, let’s focus on where love is found! This our formation in what it means to “glorify” in imitation of the relationship between Jesus and the Father. They’ll truly know that we are Christians by our love!

Listen to a video presentation of Dan Schutte’s musical creation, “Where Love Is Found,” here: