Real relationship

The words of this weekend's gospel (John 14:1-14) are most often heard during a funeral service. It is a popular choice because the words provide wonderful assurance that the person who has died in Christ has now taken up residence in their heavenly home. The gospel begins by Jesus saying that he will prepare a place for each one of us. But as the text continues, we can see that our place is not an isolated room of our own in a giant heavenly mansion. Jesus’ words are less about a place than a relationship: our relationship with Jesus. They tell us that in Jesus we know all we need to know about God. As we can have a relationship with another human person, we can also have a relationship with God that will one day be as real and obvious as are our relationships with one another. The hope of one day being with Christ fully and forever is real. In the meantime, we are called by Jesus into real actions that reflect who Jesus is in our world today.