Reflection
In the present political climate in our country where some public figures tend to flout their Christianity while denigrating the faiths of others it is worth remembering what it means to be a Christian. To be a Christian is to be reflective of the love of Christ. Jesus made it clear that his followers were to be compassionate and inclusive. All were part of his community; no one was left outside his circle. As he was conscious of and impartial toward the needs of others, so must his followers be. Artificial focus on differences, feelings of superiority, and unwillingness to open ourselves to the equality and human needs of others is a rejection not only of them but also of Jesus. To believe one with those beliefs is a Christian is to be ignorant of the teachings of the gospel.
Prayer
God give me the grace to live as a true follower of Jesus.
Action
Where am I deserving of the admonition of Jesus?
Where do I reject him in others? What needs to change in me?
Suggested Reading
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in, naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ He will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers or sisters of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”
Matthew 25:35-40
We must overcome all forms of racism, of intolerance and of the instrumentalization of the human person.
Pope Francis
Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.
St. Francis of Assisi
Ultimately, America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.
Robert F. Kennedy
Of all religions, the Christian should of course inspire the most tolerance, but until now Christians have been the most intolerant of all men.
Voltaire
Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
John F. Kennedy
The highest result of education is tolerance.
Helen Keller
Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.
Joseph Fort Newton
In order to have faith in his own path, he does not need to prove that someone else’s path is wrong.
Paulo Coelho
If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.
Gene Roddenberry