Witness for Love

"And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,and in all of Judea and Samaria,and to the ends of the earth." Act 1:8

Today is the feast day of St. Luke, who is said to have written both Luke and Acts and was a physician. He was not among the original disciples but was a witness for love. He told the story of Jesus to Theophilus, promising him an orderly account. Luke also tells him that he "investigated everything from the very beginning" so that the listener could count completely on his accurate and truthful telling. Luke told his story, so another might learn and believe. He was a witness for love. People throughout history and throughout our own lives, have been witnesses for love. They tell us clearly that God's love is unending, undying, unaffected by the passing of time, does not change with government or leadership, but is steady and constantly seeking us out. Luke's story says that love is not a transaction, life-style or a political movement. The disciples wanted Jesus' resurrection to signify the restoration of Israel. Jesus wanted them to be witnesses to love made real in their lives. Luke took up the charge long after Jesus had departed. He understood that the best work he could do was to tell a story. He could make God's love real to people around him by word and action.

Today, I want to be a witness for love. I want my life to tell the story of human frailty buoyed up by God's constancy and love. Luke writes constantly about the disciples' failure and how Jesus forgives them and transforms their lives. None of us can be a witness to God's love and in-breaking of justice and compassion alone. None of us need hide from our broken places and our humanity. We need to tell our story, share our humanity and offer our broken pieces to the love of God and a community. I pray that we can all tell our stories to those gathered around us. May we be witnesses to love in our cities and in our day.