My words, the commandment

It would be a most noble act as your child left your home for the very last time, to utter words of such import, that they would be remembered by your descendents for generations to come. So if you had the heads up now, what would you say?

Some leave memoirs, beautifully published, that family members may consult. Others leave precious diaries that record events, daily activities and quiet thoughts. Some may bequeath a musical opus, others the remnants of their poetic genius. What would a Nobel laureate utter, or would he be satisfied with his great achievement in science, literature, medicine or in peace?

We ordinary folk, whose lives are recorded by past calendars that highlight dental appointments and family get-togethers, can and do leave words that will impact on our children. They may not make the annals of well- and oft-quoted proverbs and phrases, but be assured they will.

In this Sunday’s Gospel (John 13:31 - 35) Jesus tells his disciples: I shall not be with you much longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples. These words of Jesus are imprinted on the hearts and minds of every Christian, for they are not just a standard bearer for Christianity, they are a guide for good living, a pathway to building God’s kingdom. It is clear that these words are not just to be spoken and repeated to one another, they are to be enacted, made real through gesture and action.

And this is what the words you leave your children must equally do. What would I say? Know that I really love you and will always love you. This is not a commandment, it is a statement of fact projected into the distant and eternal future. How will they know these words are important and to be always remembered? I will tell them over and over, and my gestures, words, actions and prayers will constantly affirm them. So, by all means have some words that you can you can pass on to your child, but they should be words that complete the life you have already lived together.

As disciples of Jesus we have never been perfect in acting out his commandment to love others, it is a work in progress, like us. It is the journey that matters.