“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language 
And next year’s words await another voice.”

T. S. Eliot

2016 was a rough year. We faced a divisive presidential campaign season; we were met with numerous violent assaults; and as the year ends we remain divided on many fronts. The level of vitriol that’s been poured out on social media, to my mind, has reflected the level of pain that people are experiencing in their homes and communities. I’ve watched as friends I love and respect have been torn to shreds for sharing heart-felt convictions.

Troubling times. Could we have lived differently?

I have been studying John’s gospel for the last few days, particularly the final conversation that Christ had with His closest friends.

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”

John 15:12-14 (NLT)

That command has never felt more challenging or more urgent.

I remember in the 1980’s singing the song,

We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

Peter Scholtes wrote that hymn in 1960 when he was a parish priest at St. Brendan’s on the South Side of Chicago. His heart was to bring people in his community together. It was a catchy song to sing but difficult to live the life behind the lyric.

Christ calls us to love as He loves. How, in our broken humanity can we even begin to do that? As I study the life of Christ I see some ways to embrace this command.

He hated heartless religion but offered life to anyone who would listen.

He looked into the eyes of the shamed and broken and destroyed those shackles with radical grace and love.

Most of all, He was always about His Father’s business. Everything He said, everything He did was to bring glory to the Father.

We all have our agendas — that’s part of the fabric of who we are — but as I look to 2017 I commit to bring my agendas under that same plumb line.

“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

John 17:4 (NLT)

May that be the prayer that shapes our voices in this New Year.