What love can do

John 8:1-11

Some years ago, I composed a song entitled 'What love can do.' It was inspired by listening to a friend of mine share a difficult and painful experience within her family that others would have had no clue about. Here are the lyrics. I have shared this song before but it came to mind reflecting on today's Gospel of Jesus with the woman caught in adultery from John 8:1-11.

 What Love can do

See that man in front of you

And the woman at your side

The young girl who sits alone

And the boy whose head is down

We don’t know the pain they carry

And we don’t know what love can do

There are smiles and conversations

To pass the time of day

and our thoughts about the weather

to have something to say

We don’t know the pain they carry

We don’t know what love can do

If we could see inside their heart

If we could understand their fear

If we could build a bridge for them to cross

We would see what love can do

We don’t know the pain inside

So let’s just say we can

And gently choose to walk beside ev’ry woman, ev’ry man

We don’t know the pain they carry

We don’t know what love can do

At times this life is complicated

The way ahead seems dark and long

Perhaps our smile could make a diff’rence

Give some hope when hope is gone

We don’t know the pain they carry

We don’t know what love can do

And so for all those human stories

The ones too painful to expose

We can ask ourselves the question

What can love to do, who knows?

I can't help but think that Jesus could see into her heart and understood her predicament and the very real fear she felt before her accusers who were ready to stone her to death. He built a bridge for her to cross where she felt safe and seen not as an object but as a woman with dignity. All her accusers departed one by one when Jesus challenged them to face there own sinfulness. Jesus, humble and vulnerable, from a place bent low on the ground, looked up at her and spoke gently with her. What a beautiful conversation Jesus has with her and her heartfelt response, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir' she replied. Neither do I condemn you,' said Jesus 'go away, and do not sin any more.'

I get the sense that here at last the woman had met a man who truly loved and respected her and cared about her going forward. And I get the sense that her life would never be the same after this encounter.

Jesus of course always shows us what love can do and invites us to do the same.

Click on the song's title to listen to the song. It is track 1 on the album, 'Truly Blessed.'

Blessings on your week.