Chapel theme 2021-2022
“Love does no harm”
Romans 13:9b-10a: “The commandments … are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbour.”
This scripture passage brings us to the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. What does it mean to love our neighbour as ourselves? To do no harm to a neighbour?
These questions open the door to the exploration of the various ways harm has been caused, sometimes under the guise of faith. This includes harm to Indigenous communities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, black communities, the differently abled, women, other communities of faith, and to the earth itself. With help from the wisdom of others, we can begin to understand the impact of our actions. We can begin, with humility, to repair that harm, and learn to live equitably with all.
Our chapel theme for this year also gives important context to the many Rockway activities that connect directly to our vision, mission and values as a community – the ways in which we are already striving to love our neighbours, such as the House of Friendship Food Drive, Envirathon Servathon, and Spiritual Emphasis Week.
So, what does it mean to love our neighbour as ourselves? To do no harm to a neighbour? Asking these questions and exploring these issues will be challenging at times, but doing so also holds the possibility of living joyfully; of discovering what it means to be “not far from the kingdom of God.”
Additional Scripture:
Matthew 22:35-40
Mark 12: 28-34
Luke 10: 25-37
