Brian’s Reflection: Friday, May 25, 2007


He alone loves the Creator perfectly who
manifests a pure love for his neighbor.

- The Venerable Baeda (Bede), monk of Jarrow,
on his feast day (b. 672, d. 735), author of
“A History of the English Church and People”


Imagine! Bede was sent to the monastery when he was three years old! He rarely left his monastery, led a simple scholarly and physical life. On the day of his death, he was writing and translating a Gospel of John. His helper said there was one last sentence; Bede spoke it. The boy said it was finished. Baeda said, “Thou hast spoken truth!”. Singing the Doxology, sitting on the floor of his cell, he died peacefully.

I have always loved the First Epistle of John because of its simple, clear statement: “No one can love God and hate his neighbor”. It is the core point of the Incarnation - God dwells in every person’s being. If we hate that being, we hate God. How wise was Jesus when He taught (in the parable of the sheep and the goats) that when we ignored or abused our fellow human beings, we ignored and abused Him.

Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. It’s on that path that, when death approaches, we can sit calmly singing and giving thanks to God.

Sounds OK to me.

Brian+