Loyalty is Everything
Today’s society has nearly perfected the idea of networking. Businesses have networking lunches. Even Church conferences spend time focusing on networking. There is a reason for the saying, “It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know.” The best networking rests on loyalty. Loyal customers bring loyal friends who become loyal customers.
As part of our effort to focus on the saints this year, we read daily about the saints who were loyal to Christ. They suffered for Christ. They were maimed for Christ. They were put in prison for Christ. Many, but not all, even died for Christ. What did Christ do for them? He remained eternally loyal to them. Consider this reading from Saint Paul.
Brethren, we know that everything works for good with those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8.28-39
As part of every funeral and memorial service, the Church prayers, “May their memory be eternal.” I like to remind people that this prayer is not about the survivors remembering the deceased. We are praying that God always remember the deceased. We are praying that God remain loyal to them in their death for eternity.
In earthly terms, loyalty makes the world go ‘round’. It is built upon experience and trust. We are loyal to others because they have ‘proven’ we can trust them. Break our trust once and our loyalty begins to fade. Break our trust repeatedly and our loyalty ends. That is earthly loyalty. With God it is different. It doesn’t matter if we break His trust. He remains loyal.
I think this is the point Saint Paul is trying to make. It doesn’t matter what we do. It doesn’t matter what someone else says or does. God will remain loyal. Not even the demons can separate us from the love of God. In other words, God has proven to us that He can be trusted. He has proven that He will remain loyal. Now, it is our turn.
We would never turn our backs on someone who remains loyal and trustworthy. So, why is turning our backs on God is so easy? I suspect it is because God remains loyal no matter what. In our earthly relationships, if we break trust, we lose the loyalty of others. We ‘break the contract’ so to speak. It is the fear of losing their loyalty that maintains the balance. With God it is different.
The saints are commemorated to help us remain loyal to God. They are examples of what can happen when we don’t give up on God. The saints don’t replace God. The saints show us the way to remain loyal to God, despite the suffering. The saints show us that loyalty to God lasts beyond the prison cell. The saints remind us that it can be done. They show us that loyalty to God is everything.
