“Beloved, our love must not be simply words or mere talk—it must be true love, which shows itself in action and truth.”

My journey to arrive at this sermon began several week ago when I had a breakthrough in my genealogy research. I was working on my great grandparents Leon and Mary Pitrusu. As I kid I was told that Leon was from Austria and Mary was from Poland.

Over the past two years I learned that they were both from Galicia which no longer exists. Galicia was formed in 1772 as a crown land of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The territory it covers is now southeastern Poland and northwestern Ukraine. I had the names of the two cities they came from: Leon was from Petrycze and Mary was from Zloczow. I always assumed these two cities were in Poland, but I could never find them on a map. I knew my great grandmother and she always identified as Polish so I never thought to look on the Ukrainian side of Galicia.

Well, that all changed about two weeks ago when, for some unknown reason, I decided to look in Ukraine for both of these cities. Well, surprise, surprise, Petrycze became Petrici. It was once in Poland, then Galicia, but now it’s in Ukraine about an hour outside of Lviv. Zloczow became Zolochiv. It’s right next to Petrycze. So it finally all makes sense since I knew my great grandparents came from the same area.

That may be more genealogy than you wanted to receive this morning. But this is a major discovery for me because the people of Ukraine are literally my people. They live in the same towns my great grandparents lived in. It has been an emotional thing for me to discover this.

Here’s the second part of the journey. While I was looking for information on these two cities Google led me to a video from Zolochiv that was filmed by World Central Kitchen, who are currently working there feeding hungry Ukrainians. So I think you might know where this sermon is headed!

This video, and another from a Ukrainian relief agency, showed the utter devastation in Zolochiv, and it brought me to tears. These are my people. We share some of the same DNA. It has tied my spirit to Ukraine in a way that is deep and profound.

I decided I wanted to support the work of World Central Kitchen, who I was familiar with but didn’t know their whole story.

I did a little more digging and discovered that they often put themselves in harms way in order to feed hungry people. They were not only in Ukraine but also in the Gaza Strip, which made me respect them even more.

This leads me to part three of my journey. World Central Kitchen was on my personal radar two days before the news broke that seven of their workers had been killed by an Israeli bomb. It should not have happened since World Central Kitchen was co-ordinating their efforts with the IDF. It is a tragedy of epic proportions.

Now that you know my personal journey for the past few weeks, you can imagine that this news hit me hard. All of these connections I had made came together and these workers felt like they were kin to me.

It is a very powerful thing the Holy Sprit  sometimes does in our lives when she connect us to strangers half way across the globe. These are “the ties that bind our hearts in Christian love” as the old hymn goes. It would be so much easier for us to try and shield our hearts from the suffering of others and focus solely on ourselves and our families. But the Holy Sprit will not let this happen. She will try to break down whatever walls we construct to try and keep us isolated from others. Those Spirit winds will blow, until our “US vs. THEM” becomes a “WE.” Do you hear me church?

This brings us to the intersection of our Gospel Lesson and Second Lesson. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” According to Jesus, love is more than a feeling. It compels us to act. Jesus modeled this way of loving others throughout his ministry. He was very hands on. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and despised religious leaders who used the law to enslave others and make them feel unworthy of God’s love.

Jesus was having none of this. None. Of. This. He loved fiercely, and washed his disciples feet on the last night he was with them. He did this to remind them that those who follow Jesus have pledged themselves to a life of serving others. Then he gave up his life on the cross and defeated death forever. It stands as a powerful reminder that some people may try their best to kill love, compassion and mercy, but love always finds a way to not only persevere but to thrive and multiply.

This love Jesus showed was not just reserved for those who looked like him and thought like him. He made it very clear that love never puts up walls but builds bridges instead. “I have other sheep,” Jesus said, “That do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

This same message is conveyed in our Second Lesson from 1 John. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ died for us. And we, too, ought to lay down our lives for our neighbors. If you have more than enough material possessions and see your neighbors in need yet close your hearts to them, how can the love of God be living in you? Beloved, our love must not be simply words or mere talk—it must be true love, which shows itself in action and truth.”

What more needs to be said? The calling is clear. We cannot turn our backs on those who suffer in our world. We have to do more than pray for them. True love compels us to act. While we cannot love everyone and alleviate all the horrors that exist across the globe, we can love a corner of it. That corner may be in the city of Asheville. It may be in Zolochiv, Ukraine or the Gaza Strip. We all need to let the Holy Spirit show us where our love is needed in this world and what form it should take.

Little did I know that my interest in genealogy would take me on such a journey, and connect me to people I do not know in ways that are both sacred and profound. My hope for all of us is that we will embark on a similar journey. My hope is that we will ponder the question, “Who am I called to love? And what form should that love take?”

It’s really not an option for those who pledge to take up their cross and follow Jesus. It is who we were created to be as our light shines in the darkest places of our world. So give it some thought this week, and see where the Holy Spirit will lead you. I can tell you from personal experience  it will be an interesting and transformational journey.

But I’m not finished yet. There is still one final stop in my personal journey. So this is part four. Not everyone knows yet that when I went to 3/4 time at Abiding Savior, I sought out another part time job. That search led me to friends of mine, whom I’ve known for a long time, and who own a metaphysical bookstore here in town. My knowledge of herbal medicine and theology, as well as my people skills, were a perfect match for their store.

The best thing I love about this job is the amazing diversity of customers who walk into their shop. It made me realize that my world was really quite small, and I spend a lot of time hanging out with all you Lutherans. This was especially true during the pandemic years.

There’s nothing wrong with that. But the store has placed me in the path of people I would not have met otherwise. Sometimes they are there to shop, to pick up a book, a gemstone, some herbs or incense. Other times they are because they are trying to make sense of the world around them, and how they fit into it. I have lots of holy conversations with folks who enter the doors of the store. This is true of all those who work there. We are hired specifically for this purpose and customer service is a big priority at the store.

I’ve come to realize that this is part of the wider community of Asheville that I am called to love at this point in my life’s journey. It is an enriching experience for me that helps to empower my ministry as pastor of Abiding Savior.

So, in closing, I share my personal journey of the past few weeks with you, with the hope that you’ll take the words from our gospel and second lesson to heart. May they challenge you to love others like Jesus loved them, bcause “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ died for us. And we, too, ought to lay down our lives for our neighbors.”

AMEN

Copyright ©2024 by David Eck