I have been attending Bible study classes on the Gospel of John these last weeks and it has been enjoyable and enlightening, especially when Monsignor Vaz spoke about the application of John 15:16. It was a mini revelation for me.
We have been chosen. We have been appointed and empowered to bear lasting fruit, the fruit of love. And we are able to love in such a powerful way, a love that lasts eternally, because He has enabled us to do so. If we have truly received the love of God, that is, experienced it in our hearts, then we will be able to display this boundless, unconditional love of God to others.
Thus, if someone steals my parking spot or displays aggression to me, because I love the other as God loves him or her, it does not matter to me. I will not get all bent out of shape and retaliate in a similar fashion. Instead, I will bless the other with restraint and calm. Really? Is that possible?
I was reminded of how I accidentally cut a queue just last May (I didn't think they were waiting to order) and the people behind me just happily continued chatting away and waited till their turn came. I was embarrassed when I realized my mistake but they did not mind at all. Only in Hawaii - where people are super nice. But why not in Singapore, too, and the rest of the world?
Father Ronald Rolheiser published on September 15* that:
Faced with a threat, our primal instincts tend to take over and we instantly freeze over and begin to shut all the doors opening to warmth, gentleness, and empathy inside us.
This is a biological instinct in each of us: fight or flight in order to survive. But unlike animals, we humans have been given free will, to choose freely how we wish to react, which path to take in life. We are called to neither fight nor run away when faced with opposition, but to stay and find a middle ground, aided by love.
That does not seem to be the way of the world now. As Father Rolheiser writes:
We live in a bitterly polarized world. All of us recognize this, and all of us see a lot of cold-bloodedness inside world politics, inside the politics within our own countries and communities, and, sadly, not least, inside our churches. What we see in nearly every discussion today where there is disagreement is a cold, hard rhetoric that is not really open to genuine dialogue and is, invariably, the antithesis of charity, graciousness, and respect. What we see instead is paranoia, demonization of those who disagree with us, ridicule of our opponents’ sincerity and values, and blind self-defensiveness.
Moreover this bitterness and disrespect, so contrary to all that’s in the Gospels and to all that’s noble inside us, is invariably “sacralized”, that is, it is rationalized as demanded by “God” because we believe that what we are doing is for God, or for truth, or for country, or for the poor, or for mother-nature, or for art, or for something whose transcendent value, we believe, justifies our bracketing both Jesus and common courtesy.
Therein lies the danger, when we sacralize our disrespect and lack of elemental charity, becoming more skilled in justification than in self-examination, and, in doing this we are far from the Gospel, far from Jesus, and far from what’s best inside us.
Spreading the joy of God's love, the one true God, is never about flying an airplane into a building, nor is it about beating someone up in a fast food restaurant because they rejected our overtures. Zeal for God is never violent, angry or full of hate.
Father Rolheiser reminds us: We’re called to something higher, called to respond to threat beyond the blind response of instinct. He paraphrases Saint Paul when he encourages us to: Live with enough patience inside opposition so as not have to defend yourself, let God and history do that for you.
He ends his piece by saying the litmus test of Christian discipleship is the challenge set by Christ himself to us. Questions we need to constantly ask ourselves are:
Can I love an enemy? Can I bless someone who curses me? Can I wish good to someone who wishes me evil? Can I genuinely forgive someone who’s been unfair to me? And, perhaps even more importantly, can I live in patience when I’m in tension, not rushing to defend myself, but leaving that defense to history and to God?
This World Mission Sunday, it's worthwhile reflecting and choosing what kind of Christian do I want to be and if I choose Christ's principle of love, then I must act out that love, more so in the face of opposition and criticism, and when I attempt to share His love with others. Maybe then I will actually abide in Christ and He will abide in me.
* To read the entire article which is good, go to: http://ronrolheiser.com/on-how-we-react-to-criticism-and-opposition/#.VEKBA38ayK0
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
Thus, if someone steals my parking spot or displays aggression to me, because I love the other as God loves him or her, it does not matter to me. I will not get all bent out of shape and retaliate in a similar fashion. Instead, I will bless the other with restraint and calm. Really? Is that possible?
I was reminded of how I accidentally cut a queue just last May (I didn't think they were waiting to order) and the people behind me just happily continued chatting away and waited till their turn came. I was embarrassed when I realized my mistake but they did not mind at all. Only in Hawaii - where people are super nice. But why not in Singapore, too, and the rest of the world?
Father Ronald Rolheiser published on September 15* that:
Faced with a threat, our primal instincts tend to take over and we instantly freeze over and begin to shut all the doors opening to warmth, gentleness, and empathy inside us.
This is a biological instinct in each of us: fight or flight in order to survive. But unlike animals, we humans have been given free will, to choose freely how we wish to react, which path to take in life. We are called to neither fight nor run away when faced with opposition, but to stay and find a middle ground, aided by love.
That does not seem to be the way of the world now. As Father Rolheiser writes:
We live in a bitterly polarized world. All of us recognize this, and all of us see a lot of cold-bloodedness inside world politics, inside the politics within our own countries and communities, and, sadly, not least, inside our churches. What we see in nearly every discussion today where there is disagreement is a cold, hard rhetoric that is not really open to genuine dialogue and is, invariably, the antithesis of charity, graciousness, and respect. What we see instead is paranoia, demonization of those who disagree with us, ridicule of our opponents’ sincerity and values, and blind self-defensiveness.
Moreover this bitterness and disrespect, so contrary to all that’s in the Gospels and to all that’s noble inside us, is invariably “sacralized”, that is, it is rationalized as demanded by “God” because we believe that what we are doing is for God, or for truth, or for country, or for the poor, or for mother-nature, or for art, or for something whose transcendent value, we believe, justifies our bracketing both Jesus and common courtesy.
Therein lies the danger, when we sacralize our disrespect and lack of elemental charity, becoming more skilled in justification than in self-examination, and, in doing this we are far from the Gospel, far from Jesus, and far from what’s best inside us.
Spreading the joy of God's love, the one true God, is never about flying an airplane into a building, nor is it about beating someone up in a fast food restaurant because they rejected our overtures. Zeal for God is never violent, angry or full of hate.
Father Rolheiser reminds us: We’re called to something higher, called to respond to threat beyond the blind response of instinct. He paraphrases Saint Paul when he encourages us to: Live with enough patience inside opposition so as not have to defend yourself, let God and history do that for you.
He ends his piece by saying the litmus test of Christian discipleship is the challenge set by Christ himself to us. Questions we need to constantly ask ourselves are:
Can I love an enemy? Can I bless someone who curses me? Can I wish good to someone who wishes me evil? Can I genuinely forgive someone who’s been unfair to me? And, perhaps even more importantly, can I live in patience when I’m in tension, not rushing to defend myself, but leaving that defense to history and to God?
This World Mission Sunday, it's worthwhile reflecting and choosing what kind of Christian do I want to be and if I choose Christ's principle of love, then I must act out that love, more so in the face of opposition and criticism, and when I attempt to share His love with others. Maybe then I will actually abide in Christ and He will abide in me.
* To read the entire article which is good, go to: http://ronrolheiser.com/on-how-we-react-to-criticism-and-opposition/#.VEKBA38ayK0
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