One of the standard ways we can bother one another in community is by not picking up after ourselves. We do something messy, move on, leaving a legacy behind us. This is why your roommate has to deal with your breakfast dishes. This is why other members of the family have to clear a place when they need to do anything. We sail blissfully on, unaware of what we leave in our wake.
In short, we do not love as we ought when looking at the past. But love also looks to the future. The word provide comes from the Latin words meaning to look beforehand.
Love is not just occupied with the present. Love involves far more than just radiating kind thoughts toward someone in the present moment. Love remembers, and love anticipates. Love looks behind, and love looks ahead.
To expand this a bit more, life in community would be made much more harmonious if we considered the past with others in mind, and considered the future with others in mind.
Love remembers that it left the gas tank almost empty. Love remembers that it has to get that pile of stuff out of the garage. Love remembers that piles of clothes don’t carry themselves anywhere.
Love anticipates that there might not be food enough for the last in line. Love anticipates that the lawn will need to be mowed before Saturday this week. Love anticipates that time needs to be budgeted as well as money.
In short, love acts in the present, but in order to do so intelligently it must draw on remembrance and anticipation.
See, now this is good, helpful stuff.
We need more of this and less “Go Ted Go!”, “Melania’s a tramp!”, and “Yo! NSA Raps!”
Amen.