Lady

"The elder to the elect lady," 1 John 1.

It's the elder, John. John, Jesus' beloved disciple. John, one of the 12 chosen apostles. John, now an old, really old, man. Elder John. To the lady. The elect lady. Chosen. By whom? God. So, lady? Yes. Like lords and ladies. She's the female counterpart of the male lord. Not just any woman. Lady. She has power and authority. Just like a lord. Who is she? Is she an actual person, or, is she a metaphor for the congregation? Yeah, probably. So what's the message from the elder? Dear lady: as some of your children do, love one another in keeping with the Lord's first rules. And don't be a loser like people who don't recognize Jesus as God's true man. Keep Christ's teaching, and you've got both God and Jesus. Your elect sister says, Hi!

We greet a brother or sister today as children in spirit of the elect lady. And, together, we give thanks to God who has shown us in our brother Jesus life in his kingdom.