Only One Song?

O if there’s only one song I can sing
When in his beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song in eternity be:
O what a wonder that Jesus loves me!

I dare say like me, you are intrigued as to which song the guest will choose from their Desert Island list on that British Institution known as Desert Island Discs. It is often not just the choice of song but the reason behind their selection that tells the listener a lot about the guest’s character and life journey.

In line with the 4th verse of our chosen song for this week, Philip Bliss speaks of song that expressed the beauty of our king Christ Jesus but also of the wonder of his live for each one of us.

It is worth carefully reading the words found in Johns Gospel 15:12-17, ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

This is such a rich text, that I may want to spend the time just savouring each word, letting Jesus speak to me with such love and warmth, calling me his friend, promising me a life that will bear fruit, fruit that will last.

Love one another as I have loved you. This is not a burden, an impossible task, but an invitation to the fullness of love and life that Jesus lived. We would do well to ask for the grace to understand better how Jesus loved, so that our love can be modelled on his.

A Prayer
Lord, you are inviting me, choosing me, to be your intimate friend, to go out in your name and to make an impact on this precious world, and bear lasting fruit.
Jesus my friend, in your company I can relax, be silent or talk, grumble or boast, give out and complain, or feel thankful and light-hearted. You know my heart, and make allowances. I do not have to pretend. Amen