Love Connects Us Moment of Clarity With Rev. Lorrie Daly-Price

Sunday, May 17, 2020 | "I will not leave you orphaned..." Thus says the Lord. Orphaned. Alone. Without guidance. Without support. Without parents. Without anyone. Mostly, "orphaned" means being so isolated in this world that it feels like no one cares whether or not we live or die.
An image of children first comes to mind when we use that word, yet any of us can be orphaned at any age. In fact, on any given day, a lot of us are orphaned, at least in spirit.
People we encounter every day if we choose to see them deal with so much—financial trauma, job loss, physical illness, spiritual desperation, emotional isolation, instability, disrupted relationships, abandonment ... the list goes on. Any one of those things not only can make us feel abandoned by the very concept of love, but also unworthy and for sure unlovable by anyone.
It is interesting that Jesus uses the word "orphaned" in this week's text from John’s gospel. It is such a potent metaphor for what he was about to do, which was to leave his beloved disciples.
To provide reassurance that they are not being abandoned, Jesus speaks of the love of God, the coming of the Spirit, who will never leave. Whether they heard him or not, he only speaks words of hope. Words of love.