Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
You’d think this would be a summarily positive book from scripture. It talks a lot about loving God, and the requisite loving neighbor. And do not misunderstand. I’m all in about loving God and loving neighbor.
I believe this letter was written by someone in the disciple John’s sphere, and that was a place and time where Christians were persecuted. As a result, John’s gospel and these letters draw a bright line around Christians, and everyone else. This letter goes so far as to say that any spirit that does not that Jesus Christ is the antichrist.
I understand that some Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to God; John certainly did. And maybe that is true. But Jesus himself pointed to God – the same God that is also called Allah and Yahweh. Perhaps I don’t follow Muslim teachings, but to suggest that devout, loving, Muslims who are children of God are the antichrist, seems like the opposite of loving your neighbor. It seems like it would be hard to love someone you’d called out as the antichrist.
So after the antichrist pronouncement, I wonder who this letter is talking about – loving God you cannot see, and loving your neighbor who you can. Was he only talking about the neighbors who agreed with him? Again, that makes me nervous.
I’m reminded of a quote from John Spong, an Episcopal Bishop who wrote, ““God is not a Christian, God is not a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist. All of those are human systems which human beings have created to try to help us walk into the mystery of God. I honor my tradition, I walk through my tradition, but I don't think my tradition defines God, I think it only points me to God.”
I know Bishop Spong is not canonized in Scripture. But Jesus was. And Jesus used the Samaritan woman as an illustration of who is defined as your neighbor. And I don’t think the Samaritan woman professed Jesus as son of God.
I think Jesus’ love is broader and deeper than any human since then. I’d go so far as to suggest that Jesus’ love was absolute and all-inclusive. Anyone who tries to use the term antichrist, or to draw boundaries around who’s acceptable and who’s not, that person is not professing the same radical love as Jesus. That person is more likely trying to conform Jesus’ love to something that more closely matches their understanding of who is worthy of love and who’s not.
This morning, I’m thinking about how much better it is to be a Jesus follower than an John or Paul follower. We humans get it wrong too often.
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