The Beatles had a song, “All you need is love” when I was a good bit younger. It was simple and fun to listen to and, well, it was the Beatles singing it. In those days of rebellion and experimentation and looking for a new perspective in our society, I think we missed something profound.
I discovered that all I needed was love almost 50 years ago. When I made the decision to love and be loved by Christ, it was not the result of guilt, remorse over my sins, fear of hell, or because I wanted to repent. I just wanted to be loved! As a teenager, it was not something that I knew much about. I am sure my parents each loved me in their own way and they were not bad people, it is just that love was never spoken of in my young life. Sadly, that left me empty and needy.
Why has the church, in general, failed us all? Why has the church worked so hard to remind us that we are sinners, utterly depraved, and in need of forgiveness? Jesus never ever did that to anyone. He never said to Mary Magdalyn, go and remember how unworthy you are, how much you need me and then we will talk. No, it never happened that way. All she needed, all Christ needed was love. No extras, no repentance and no guilt.
In my time of greatest need and greatest loneliness, I discovered love. I was wrapped in it, bathed in it (baptized in it) and turned on by it. Overall of the ensuing years, the church put that fire out. No sermons about the deep, deep love of Jesus, even though we sang the hymn. No Sunday school lessons on just how loved and beloved I was, no time spent in simple adoration of the wondrous love of Jesus, even though again, we sang about it.
I have been taught by the best preacher I know that worship must touch all of the senses to truly be worship. I should hear the love in the music, I should see love in the people and in the visual experience. I should smell love (usually the incense used at some churches). I should be able to touch love by the passing of the peace with my brothers and sisters. I should even be able to taste love, in the Eucharist!
As I ponder it now, I should have listened to the Beatles. All I have ever needed is Love. And all I have ever need to give in return is love. There are no rules for this, it is just love. And that my friends is the explanation of what a Christian mystic is. We ponder the “deep, deep love of Jesus”, of the Father through the Son, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, read this word with the hyphen and be-loved!