(June 2, 2016)
Love.
How do we love? Who do we love? Why do we love? What is love?
Love is usually described as something romantic, something that is associated with the butterfly feeling in our tummy and that lightheadedness every time you talk to someone you “love”. Loving someone we like is easy. Loving someone who loves us back is a piece of cake.
But how about those instances when we are being asked to love someone unlovable? Someone who hurt you? Someone who stabs you in the back? Someone who will never love you back?
In Luke 6:35 we are reminded to love even our own enemies:
“But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”
As Christians, we are called to love unconditionally. Remember God’s 2nd commandment is for us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). And in this year of Mercy, we are more so called to love in action.
I honestly don’t know where I’m going with this. Tonight’s events stirred my heart and re-opened some wounds from the past. My first reaction was to answer back, to save myself and make people see my point. But in reflection, I remembered reading a quote from Mother Teresa:
“Love to be real, it must cost, it must hurt, it must empty us of self.”
I thought I emptied myself already, but it still hurts, therefore I realize, there is still more. I still have to learn how to love unconditionally. My thoughts are somehow still disorganized. But I will end this with a request, that please pray for me, that I may have a bigger heart to love people around me, and most especially those who hurt me, those who hate me and even those who stab me in the back. I pray for a bigger heart to understand things and people around me, I pray for humility. To be humble enough to admit things I’ve done wrong. To be humble enough to lower myself and not to seek for revenge. I pray that I may learn to forgive those who continue to hurt me, and after everything to still love them as what Jesus would do. Amen.