During
the dark days when Nazism spread over much of Europe, Denmark could
offer little resistance against the great German war machine. In no
time the Danes were overpowered. Yet, one great example of courage
and solidarity is remembered.
Hitler
ordered the king of Denmark to issue a decree that all Jews would
publicly identify themselves by wearing a yellow armband with a Star
of David on it. The king knew that anyone so identified would be rounded
up and sent to the death camps. He also knew the danger of disobeying
Hitler's orders.
When
the king issued the decree, he himself wore a yellow armband with
a Star of David on it, although he was not Jewish. The people immediately
knew what to do. The next day everyone in the kingdom - Jew and Gentile
alike - wore the required armband. Thus even while obeying an unjust
command, solidarity with those condemned resulted in life for all.
The
witness of the king of Denmark mirrors the kind of love that is spoken
of in John's Gospel today. First of all it is a love that begins with
God. "This is the love I mean: not our love for God, but God's
love for us." We often think that the great Christian prayer
is, "Oh, my God, I love you!" But it is not. The great Christian
prayer is, "Oh, my God, you love me!" God loves me no matter
what! I cannot make God not love me by my bad actions, neither can
I make God love me by my good actions. Unlike in human relationships
where we often make one another love or not love by our behavior,
the love of God is an absolute given.
Now,
if we accept this gratuitous unearned love of God - and we find this
very hard to accept, because our ego likes to think and feel that
we have earned love - then we cannot but love our brothers and sisters
gratuitously. By gratuitously, I mean here, without having earned
it. It is something that God has chosen to give us. "I chose
you: you did not choose me." We could not choose it or earn it
for ourselves. It had to be offered by God. If we accept that God
loves us in this way we are challenged to love others in the same
way.
This
is a very challenging love. "You are my friends. I shall not
call you servants any more because a servant does not know his master's
business… A person can have no greater love than to lay down
his/her life for his/her friend." The great indicator of growth
in our spiritual lives is when we move from the attitude of a servant
to the free but, in its own way, more demanding attitude of a friend
or relative. Servants work definite hours and walk out if they do
not like what they are asked to do. But friendship will go beyond,
especially in times of crisis. Friendship entails mutual fidelity
and loyalty. If we are friends of God we want to do what is God's
will - we will not be thinking whether this is or is not a sin, or
whether it is a mortal or venial sin. Love will not want to offend
even in the least. If offenses happen love gives the capacity to start
anew, to make allowance for the moods and failures of the loved one.
Movement
into a friend/friend relationship will also involve a change in the
way in which we pray. We will not be praying out of duty, or to save
our skins from a God who will punish us if we do not do what we are
told. We will be praying because we enjoy being with our friend. In
this kind of prayer we will be open rather than controlling. We will
be open to hear what God may be asking us to do in order to respond
to his love. We will not be directing him and showing him the ways
in which he is to show his love for us. We will be open to the challenge
that love may make on us, the challenge to wear the Star of David
openly, even when it is risky to do so.
