A Mutual Admiration Society

A Mutual Admiration Society

John 15:12-15

We belong to a mutual admiration society (my baby and me).

            These are the opening words of a song written in 1956 by Harold Karr and Matt Dubey.  You may remember the song, although you probably won’t remember the musical it was written for: Happy Hunting.  I’ve been involved with musical theatre most of my adult life, and I’ve never heard of it. 

            “A Mutual Admiration Society” is a love song in which the singer talks about how much she—or he—loves her/his lover.  Each member of the pair tries to outdo the other with words of praise and admiration.  It’s a cute song, but certainly not one of the best of all time.

            Those of us who have been in love understand the song’s message.  When we’re in love we are effusive in our words and feelings for our lover.  Lovers truly belong to a mutual admiration society.

            The same may be said for close friends.  People who deeply care for each other express their admiration in glowing terms.  David and Jonathan are a good example.  Less frequently we find these emotions in business associates.  George M. Cohan and Sam Harris come to mind.  Perhaps Johnson and Johnson, or Hart, Schaffner and Marx qualify as well.  I’m sure you can add to this list.

            These human mutual admiration societies may not be permanent.  Love affairs wither and die.  Friends quarrel and part company.  Partnerships founder on the rocks of disagreements or financial ruin.  Human relationships are subject to pressures that can cause them to implode or break apart.

            Jesus’ final words to his disciples, recorded in Chapters 14-17 of John’s gospel, are words of love from a man to his closest friends.  These men have spent three years together, traveling the roads and visiting the villages, towns and cities of Galilee.  They have walked together, talked together, eaten together, slept together—shared all of life’s moments.  Now their relationship has reached its earthly end.  Jesus will soon leave them.  There are things he must tell them, share with them in the few hours of freedom he has left.  He says, “There is so much I have to tell you, but you can’t understand it all right now.  I will share with you what I can.”

            These men love each other.  They could not have spent so much time in each other’s company without a bond of love to keep their relationship from imploding or breaking apart.  Jesus knows this—knows the bond of love that unites them.  He urges them to keep his commandments—keep doing the things they did while he was with them:  the healings, the war against evil spirits, the care of the poor and disenfranchised, and especially the love.

            Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  He might have added, “as you have loved me.” Perhaps he doesn’t use these words because he knows their love for him is not as perfect as his love for them.  Certainly he is aware that one of them loves him far less than he should.

            Jesus is creating a new mutual admiration society that will become the church.  The members of this society are to love each other as purely as is humanly possible—no, even beyond what is humanly possible.  For we (yes, we) are to love each other as Jesus loved us.  We too are Jesus’ friends.  He has called us friends as surely as he called those early disciples friends.  We are part of this grand mutual admiration society.

            How is your mutual admiration society doing?