Mandatum

Today is Maundy Thursday.  Not all Christians use that term; Lutherans, among others, do.  Today we remember the institution of the Holy Communion [Eucharist] by Jesus at the Last Supper.  But interestingly, the term Maundy does not come from the Synoptic Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke] where the Last Supper is described in detail - including the Words of Institution of the Eucharistic Prayer.  Rather, the word derives from the Latin mandatum which is usually translated command, but it also the root for the English word 'mandate.'  In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, 'A new commandment I give you: Love one another.'  This is one of two mandates that Jesus give his followers, and the only one in the Gospel of John; the only one given before his resurrection. [The other is the Great Commission: Go, preach the Gospel to all the world.]
   In this simple sentence, Jesus sums up his entire ministry, his entire Gospel -- Love one another.  There is no other requirement for the Christian Life; there is no qualification in the statement.  The followers of Jesus are asked to do nothing else. The rest of the Gospel, the rest of the New Testament, the rest of Scripture refines that statement, explains that statement.  It is not something to which we are forced to subscribe, not a legal requirement.  It is the mandate of our Lord: to follow Jesus is to live the life of Love, to live the life of service to others.  As Jesus, our Master, washed the disciples' feet on that Thursday in humble service to show his Love, so we are to serve and to love, to love by serving.
   Some have wondered openly about our choice to do ministry in Guyana:  To move there on our own dime, to be paid the same compensation as the other Guyanese Pastors, to rely on local healthcare, to forego pension contributions.  But we find ourselves in a situation where we can do this.  For Vivian and I, at this time, this is the way we serve, the way to love one another - not just that circle of folks in North America - but to stretch our love to those further from us, fellow travellers who share the mandate to Love.  Today we celebrate and remember the giving of that mandate to everyone.