Middle of a chain reaction

 As I thought about this coming Sunday, Mothering Sunday, I remembered all that I was taught about the day as a child. There was a lot of saying thank you and giving thanks. This is still true, and I am pleased about the way I was taught about this special day.

It is the day when we remember and give thanks for the love of our mothers and those who have loved us as a mother. We are also to remember our mother Church which is the Cathedral of our Diocese,  I also like to give thanks for the Church which nurtured me as I grew up. Then of course, there is the need to give thanks for Mary, the mother of Jesus and her willingness to accept the role of motherhood. So many reasons to give thanks.

The epistle reading (2 Cor. 1:3-7) for Sunday made me think not only of God’s love for us but also how we are to love and support one another.

In verse 4 we are reminded that when we suffer, God, through his love for us, offers consolation. This love, is meant to be passed on by us so that  we too can console others. It is like a chain reaction. 

If you are singing the Diana Ross song about being a chain reaction in your mind, don’t worry, I am as well. This could make you laugh and feel happy, or even bemused, but it is the constant reaction to something good.

In the song there are words about being in the middle of a chain reaction. It makes me think of the joy of being in the middle of a chain reaction, of sharing God’s love and consolation.

In one Church where I was, there was a little girl who showed a chain reaction of love by the way she treated other children. She acted like a Mum to them. It was lovely to see because as you watched the little girl you could see that she was copying her own Mum.  She even used the same phrases as her Mum did. She copied the love and care she received by offering the same to other children. 

She was in the middle of a chain reaction of love from her Mum and was continuing that chain by loving others.

In the epistle reading we read that we are consoled so that we can console others. It is a strange word, not one we would naturally use. However it really is an incredible thing. This is because consolation isn’t just a pat on the back. It we truly want to console someone then we need to get alongside them, to be there for them, it is about showing true love and care. 

It is about us putting ourselves where Jesus would be and offering more than just a kind word. It is about going the extra mile. 

As we give thanks for all those we both love and are loved by, so we give thanks that God loves us. We remember that we are invited into a chain reaction of love and care. To go the extra mile, to be like Jesus to others by the way that we live- our actions and the words that we say.

What a wonderful chain to be part of, let's keep the chain reaction going