Freed By Love

A Message from the Rector

By the Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata

Summer is just around the corner, and that means we are very close to the Feast of Pentecost. At Saint Michael, Pentecost has always been a big day with a true celebration—it is the birthday of the Church after all! The story of the first Pentecost can inspire us in countless ways, so reminding ourselves is important:

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts 2:1–4)

This story is often remembered as “the birthday of the church” because it is the moment when Jesus’s earthly purpose is passed to his disciples. After following Jesus for years, learning from him and witnessing his divine power, the disciples were ready to take on the mantle of Christ in the world. But they were not alone, for they had the power of the Spirit in them.

Just like the disciples two millennia ago, you and I are called to take on the mantle of Christ in the world, with God’s help. This Easter season has called us to share God’s “big love” in the world. Jesus did many things while he was on the earth, and all that he did can be summed up in love. You and I are now the ones who love in his name.

As I think back to the first Pentecost, I can only imagine how scared the disciples were. Acts tells us that they were “all together in one place,” and the Gospel of John tells us that they were together “with the doors locked in fear (Jn 20:19).” It’s clear that the world was not receptive to Jesus’s message of love 2,000 years ago, and his faithful disciples found it scary to think of spreading that message in Jesus’s place. Today is no different.

We know our world is an uncertain place. We may not wish to admit our fear, but fear is a powerful human reaction to the uncertainty all around us. Every day, we are reminded of our fragility, reminded of our insecurity, and reminded of the evil lurking around us. We may not be able to point a finger at leaders who wielded scary power like the first Christian disciples could, but we know that there are forces in the world that make choosing to love scary. And yet, choosing to love is what we are called to do.

Love is active. Love is not just a feeling, love is when we have courage to accept our vulnerability and our weakness, and still lean into the power of love to overcome all. In Christ, we see that love can conquer even the scariest part of life—death itself—and lead us into a hopefulness that can transform us and our world. Today, just as it was in the first century, when we choose to follow Jesus, we choose a life that is counter to what the world tells us. Rather than being controlled by fear, we are freed by love.

Saint Michael is confident that love triumphs over any danger in the world, and you’re part of our great story. When we come together—pray together, sing together, learn together, serve together, and give together—we bear witness to the power of love. When we stand together as disciples of Jesus, we tell the world that neither fear, nor pain, nor heartbreak will win. Our deep commitment to the Gospel of Love here at Saint Michael is about spreading love far beyond our own community.

Soon, a new film will be available worldwide. “A Case for Love” is a new documentary inspired by the love of Christ and the leadership of our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry. Saint Michael, through our All Angels Foundation, is one of the executive producers of the movie. The film makers describe the movie this way:

A Case for Love is a compelling documentary that takes the viewer on a journey with ordinary people, exploring whether unselfish love still exists in our divided world. We interviewed and filmed hundreds of people from all walks of life, we traveled to big cities and small farms, to liberal and conservative strongholds, and to wealthy and desperately poor locales. We asked them their thoughts about LOVE, specifically about unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial LOVE. We stepped back and really listened.

Using gripping personal stories and insight from people drawn from all walks of life, both ordinary and notable, A Case for Love examines acts of unselfish love, both big and small: a kind word, a redemptive community, harsh questioning of preconceived ideas, a commitment to stay when others have fled. Over the course of the film, the viewer comes to realize that the impact of the loving response may be the answer our divided culture is seeking. It won’t be easy, but we must start somewhere. A Case for Love hopes to inspire that new beginning.

Yes, we must start somewhere, and I’m proud that Saint Michael has extended our impact beyond our community and beyond our city to inspire countless people around the world. Your participation here, in our church, will touch more people with the message of Christ that we will ever know.

Thinking back to that very first Pentecost, the disciples couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of world they would help God make. Today, in our twenty-first century, perhaps we are part of another movement. Perhaps we are part of a renewal of God’s love in ways that we, too, cannot begin to imagine. God is at work here at Saint Michael in each one of us. The love of Christ that is in each of us compels us to act, and when we do, we can be part of that work, transforming the world around us. It’s a privilege to be here with you, and I can only begin to imagine what will happen!

In Christ, we see that love can conquer even the scariest part of life—death itself—and lead us into a hopefulness that can transform us and our world. Today, just as it was in the first century, when we choose to follow Jesus, we choose a life that is counter to what the world tells us.

Rather than being controlled by fear, we are freed by love.