Christian Love
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
My three year old daughter Jane said this to me the other day, out of the blue, while hugging me. It struck me, and I haven’t quite been able to get it out of my head, reflecting on this little pure expression of love. It felt like maybe the Holy Spirit was nudging me to focus on it.
Then as I pulled up the first day of school to drop off one of my kids, this sign was out front:
The above sentiment could seem a little like a platitude. The cultural emphasis on kindness has unfortunately resulted in many people affirming everything, including sin, that other people do, all in the name of not hurting feelings. This isn’t Christian love. But authentic Christian love has now been labelled by some, as hate.
A couple of recent feast days are very close to my heart, and seem relevant, considering also recent tragedies. September 14th was the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. September 15th was Our Lady of Sorrows. Decent people are now grappling with the tragic loss of multiple high-profile cases of innocent life being taken by those who espouse and do evil. These murderers embody the extreme opposite of “I’m glad you’re here”, which is simply, “I don’t value your life”. This sort of thinking starts by dehumanizing those they disagree with.
Among other things, I have been thinking about people that I know who have drifted from or do not know the truth of Jesus. I know some who have embraced ideas that are anti-human and anti-life. What would I say to them right now? Would I encourage them to return to Jesus? Would they listen? Some of the people now who are broadly mocking prayer and Christians, remind me of the criminal to one side of Christ, in Luke 23:39.
Our desire for worldly justice is ordered and good. Order is necessary to be able to trust others, function and flourish. But we also believe in the divine. In the sobering and encouraging reality of the cross. We can’t eradicate evil in others by force. One thing we can do is uproot evil from our own hearts and minds - through prayer, and the help of Christ’s mercy - and speak truth against it, always leading with humility, grounded in the unchanging guidance of sacred scripture.
It is easy for me to be glad my kids, husband, and friends are here. The harder part is in treating all people I encounter, including the really difficult or nasty ones, in a way that still says it. To welcome suffering for Christ. To let go of how I think I should be treated, and instead to focus on growing in virtue. No person is beyond the reach of Jesus and His healing mercy, if only they would say yes to it.
Jesus saved my life, along with the guidance of virtuous and decent people who have helped lead me. May we all be more like the good thief, Saint Dismas.
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who were hanged there railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."
-Saint Therese of Lisieux
“Wash the plate, not because it is dirty, nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.”
-Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta
------------------------------
Today's Faith Friday was written by friend and repeat guest writer, Kate Niebur. Kate is wife to Chris, mom to four daughters and lives in Normal, IL with her family. They are members of Epiphany Catholic Church.