Seasons Of Love
By Michael Adee, More Light Presbyterians
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
How about love? measure in love.
Dear friends,
It’s all about love. Jonathan Larson’s remarkable song from the award-winning Broadway play “Rent” inspires my thoughts and feelings as I complete my MLP service today, July 31. After being loved back to faith by Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, a More Light church in Cincinnati, I began serving with MLP as a volunteer in 1991. I accepted the “two year job” with MLP as its first staff person in 1999 having no idea where it would take me. These 13 years of my life on staff with MLP equal 6,832,800 minutes. How does one measure this span of time and all of its experiences? In love, of course.
I have loved doing this sacred work of justice and love. I have loved being with you. I have loved being challenged to think more deeply about God’s good creation of all persons, God’s love for all persons, and God’s gift of love given to all persons, LGBT and heterosexual. I have loved reaffirming that the Gospel is good news for all persons, not just some. The Gospel is no more for straight people only than it could be for white people only. May none of us get in the way of the Gospel being good news for every person.
I have loved being with you at: your church, college or seminary campus, presbytery meeting, youth group, National MLP Conference, regional retreat, Presbyterian Women Gathering or General Assembly. I’m so grateful that the MLP Board had the vision and commitment to send someone out into the field. I traveled to 46 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. I logged over 2,000,000 miles in the air. I ate a lot of ham at church suppers and chicken at General Assemblies. Nothing takes the place of being with God’s people who are working for love, peace and justice. I loved hearing about the ways God is at work in your lives, hearing your faith stories and the difference you are called to make in your community and in the world.
You reminded me that I was a child of God, that we are all children of God. You taught me God’s wildly inclusive love by word and example. You are living out God’s extravagant welcome for all. You taught me to embrace faith over dogma, mystery over certainty, hope over fear, grace over law and love instead of judgment. You reminded me of what it means to be reformed and always reforming by keeping an open mind, heart and spirit; by taking the Bible seriously, not just literally; and to be open to God’s Spirit at work in my life, in the Church and in the world. You taught me not to close the canon, my mind or my heart.
My life is forever changed because of you, because of the privilege of serving with MLP and because of a thousand lessons learned. I gave thanks to God each time a LGBT person, parent or family member realized that this was a “gift” not a mistake. I was deeply moved every time a person confessed that they had been wrongly taught by the Church with regard to homosexuality and LGBT persons. I rejoiced each time a church “got it” by realizing that they must go the distance in affirming More Light to begin repairing the unspeakable harm the Church has done to LGBT persons and their families . I wept often when I saw the healing power of faith, hope and love become the rule rather than the exception.
The signature Biblical text and teaching for me has become Mark 12: 28-31. In this great commandment text Jesus is clear: we are to love God, neighbor and self. Moreover, everyone is our neighbor. Everything is captured by this one commandment. This is the moral compass that must guide our lives, our being the body of Christ and one human family. I give thanks to God for these 13 years, these seasons of love with you. How does one measure? Measure in love. It’s all about love.
with hope and gratitude,
Michael J. Adee
Learn more about More Light Presbyterians
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Image Flickr Torbakhopper