The Maundy Commandment

"It is indeed possible to like, respect, honor and serve even the most unlovable and unloved people."

Yesterday was Maundy Thursday. It is a holy day that goes back many, many years in the Christian Church. Some of the newer, non-denominational mega-churches do not celebrate Maundy Thursday. Other, more traditional churches still do. Regardless if you church does or does not celebrate this day, it is very, very important.

It is important for many reasons, but there are two which really stand out even today. First, it was the start of the Lord's Supper. When the words of institution were first spoken. Celebrating the Lord's Supper is something Christian continue to do to this date. The second is the issuance of the final commandment. This was given to all by Jesus during the last supper. Unfortunately, this commandment frequently goes unheeded.

The final commandment is that we are all to love each other with the same fierce love that Jesus loves us with. This type of love is called Agape Love. And Agape Love is a love so deep, it is hard for many of us to understand. It is hard for me to understand. It is not sexual love. It is not brotherly love. It is a total love. 

But there is a problem. For many a huge problem. There are some people we just don't like, no matter how hard we try. Our former pastor understood that. He acknowledged there are going to be people in this life that just plain rub us the wrong way. However (and this is a big however), we must still love that person. Love that person with Agape Love. It is indeed possible to like, respect, honor and serve even the most unlovable and unloved people. 

A good friend of mine from many years back once gave me some sage council. I was lamenting on how some person at work really got under my skin. I could not work with that person. In fact, I could not stand that person. My much older and wiser friend told me something that I have accepted as a credo today (even though I often fall short). He told me to look within people. Look past the bad and into the good. SInce none of us are perfect, if we focus only on the bad, none of us would get along.

Bingo. My resolve is to love. I want to love more people. Love them more fiercely every day. And I want to like more people. To look past things which at one time precluded me from loving or liking. It is something I need to recommit myself to every day. Why? Because my humanness will take over. And our human instincts are incompatible with Agape Love. 

Yes, it all started on that Maundy Thursday many, many years ago. We were told about a love which is so deep, it is hard for us to understand. That is until the next day. Then we saw that love for all of mankind to see. It truly is a love like no other.