Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 21, 2006

Sunday's Gospel (below) has Jesus' central commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you." People who analyze healthy communities find that they have certain core qualities: inclusiveness of diverse people and information, semi-permeable boundaries, collective intelligence, flexibility, discipline, and an ability to disagree gracefully. How are we doing as a loving, healthy community? What do you think are our growing edges?


John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."