February Week 4 — Mission Cleveland Parish

Virtue: Love
Resolution: I choose to love God with my whole being and my neighbor as myself, especially my enemy.

Human Story: Demetrius Ramsey

Demetrius grew up in Bradley County, Tennessee. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Bradley/Cleveland Community Services Agency. Demetrius has made it a part of his life's work to mentor young people, particularly young African American males, in our community who have similar backgrounds to himself. We had a conversation with him about what inspires him to take the time to love and invest in others, and we think you'll find it inspiring.

Q1: Tell us a little bit about your background/upbringing.

I grew up in a single parent, lower-income home and would have been considered "at-risk" by most standards. My father wasn't in the home and it wasn't until recently that I understood how my father's absence has always been a motivator for me. At 16, my paternal grandfather, Calvin Ramsey, died. He was the closest thing I had to a father figure; he made me think I could do anything - that I could be president one day. From the time I was in the 3rd grade, he was challenging me to be a reader and a learner. When he died, I moved into my grandma's home to serve her because I saw how much she was grieving. This is where service began for me. When I was 24, my grandma passed away. She was my everything. I was devastated, willing to turn to a lot of other bad things and even had suicidal thoughts. I grieved her death for almost 10 years.

Q2: Tell us about these kids [see photo, Demetrius is pictured on the left].

Since 2011, I've had 15-20 kids that I've mentored who had a similar background as me. There have been limitless opportunities to serve these kids because of their life situations. Most of them want to connect with somebody in a real way, and I didn't want these kids to be without a mentor figure. The six kids in this picture graduated college, but as many as that did not. I stay in touch with each one of them to make sure they keep staying on the right track. Kids these days are facing so much pressure--social media, drugs, porn, and other addictive behaviors. Unless we address our youth at a young age, changing the way they respect authority will be really difficult. People ask me, "Why are you doing this?" My response is "There but by the grace of God go I." I could have easily been a different person today had it not been for a mentor figure at that point in my life.

Q3: How would you challenge others to love well and look more like Christ in the way we love?

In order to love deeply, you have to be selfless, vulnerable, and risk being rejected. Every time we give of ourselves, it is a gamble. Sometimes others respond positively, while others do not. Romans 12:1 (KJV) states, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." We have to be willing to get to know each other, the good, bad, and ugly, and still love one another. And at the end of the day, we have to see others as they truly are—made in the image of God. We have to go deeper than the surface. The time is up for loving God and our neighbors with loopholes and contingencies. The time has come for us to expand our definition of neighbor and love one another – as well as we love ourselves. God wants us to ignore the caution lights, take our feet off the brakes and chase Him and Kingdom-living without reservation. And then, without even realizing it, we will love God and our neighbors more deeply. Without thinking about it, we will feed and clothe the less fortunate, welcome in strangers, care for those who are sick and visit prisoners – doing all of this in a manner that honors God – truly exhibiting deep love.

Lesson: 1 John 3:16-18 (NIV)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Sincere love is a defining characteristic of followers of Christ, but with our busy routines it becomes easy to overlook the opportunities to share God’s love with others. These verses remind us of our obligation and responsibility to love one another as Jesus loves us.

Many of us learned to recite from memory John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (ESV). We find comfort and hope in this promise, and 1 John 3:16 helps us understand better our obligation that accompanies it. Following Christ is not only receiving God’s grace personally but also sharing sincere love with others through our actions and deeds. In our individualistic culture, it is easy to focus on self-preservation more than self-sacrifice. Christ’s example compels us to experience shared community with our brothers and sisters in the faith and to care for others in need, even though it isn't always easy.

The greatest manifestation of love is seen in Christ’s self-sacrifice when He gave His life in place of our transgressions. 1 John 3:16-18 reminds us to exemplify this type of love for the well-being of others in a way that is both voluntary and purposeful. Like the early church community, we, too, have a responsibility to show love and compassion— not only expressing it with words but also expressing it in practical ways.

Let us seek to be more aware of the people around us and allow the Holy Spirit to help us become more sensitive to their needs. Maybe it is by providing food, clothing, or shelter. Perhaps it is by offering hospitality or prayer. It may be through giving power to the poor, being a voice for the voiceless, or taking time to listen and build friendships with those who think differently than we do. In whatever way the Holy Spirit guides us, may we be encouraged to embrace our responsibility as followers of Christ and share God’s love with others as an extension of our worship and witness.

Remembrance: A Prayer for the Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Challenge

Think back on a time in your life when someone sacrificed his/her time and energy to love you well. Perhaps you can even think of someone in the present day who fits this description. Although the chances are great that this person is loving you with no expectation of anything in return, think of a way you might express your gratitude for him/her (a letter, a phone call, a personal visit, a gift, etc.) and do it this week.

Reflection

Demetrius Ramsey said, "Every time we give of ourselves, it's a gamble." What do you think he means by that? What are ways to prepare ourselves to serve others when we know we cannot control how our care will be received?

Further Growth

Human Story: Demetrius Ramsey

Lesson: 1 John 3:16-18 (NIV)

Challenge

Reflection

Further Growth

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