Theological Fragments

[From Part II, Chapter IX: “ The Work of Love in Remembering One Dead ”] “Weep less bitterly for the dead, for he is at rest.” Sirach 22:11 (NRSV) [1] With chapter 9 of part 2, Works of Love is beginning to come to a close. With entry 17, this blog series is also nearing its end. As Kierkegaard has given us a detailed view of what Christian love is supposed to look like, now he gives us a way to test the purity of our own love: look at the way you love those who have died. [2] We are to love everyone, and loving means remembering, and so we are to love the dead. But loving those who have died is a special circumstance, and it shows us what kind of love we are showing. If we reflect on the way we love the dead, we can see whether we are showing truly Christian love. Kierkegaard identifies three ways that love for the dead is unique. First, he says that showing love for the dead is “a work of the most unselfish love.” He writes, “If one wants to make sure that love is

[From Part II, Chapter VIII: “ The Victory of Reconciliation in Love Which Wins the Vanquished ”] “[B]e reconciled to your brother...”~ Ephesians 5:24 (ESV) There is certainly honor in fighting for righteousness. No matter your conception of what is right, no matter your scruples of how one ought to fight for what is right, we all find honor in standing up against evil, injustice, cruelty, and oppression. And yet, according to Kierkegaard, to fight against evil is only the first battle. Christian love involves two battles: first, to oppose and defeat the enemy, and second, to be reconciled with the enemy. After all, Christ has famously said , and we have previous discussed , that we ought to love our enemies. That means that, even when we find it necessary to oppose and fight our enemies, they are still the rightful objects of our love. And to love them requires that we fight to be reconciled with them. Now, it is important to understand that, for Kierkegaard, forgiveness is d

[From Part II, Chapter VII: “ Mercifulness, a Work of Love, Even if It Can Give Nothing and is Capable of Giving Nothing ”] “And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’” ~ Mark 12:43-44 (ESV) “‘Do not neglect to do good and to share’[Hebrews 13:16]—but also do not forget that this perpetual worldly talk about doing good and well-doing and charity and charities and gifts and gifts is almost merciless. Let journalists and tax-collectors and parish clerks talk about charity and calculate and calculate; but let us never fail to hear that Christianity speaks essentially of mercifulness, that Christianity would last of all reward this mercilessness, as if poverty and wretchedness were not only lacking in money, etc ., but also were excl

[From Part II, Chapter VI: “ Love Abides ”] “…Love abide[s]…” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV) A relationship of love—whether it be romance, family, or friendship—requires two parties. Both sides must be invested in order for there to be a relationship. We have been commanded to love and, “so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18 ESV). But what about when it doesn’t depend on me? What about when our neighbor chooses to end the friendship? If a relationship of love requires two people, and it is impossible to force another person back into the relationship, then how are we to live out our command to love? Do we walk away from them? Do we cling desperately to them? Do we chase them down, pleading with them to remain with us? The common reaction might be to walk away—mourning the loss, but resigned to it. After all, what else can we do? Love has been broken. There’s nothing else we can do, right? Well, according to Kierkegaard, there is one thing that we can