Reflection
“If you love me, keep my commandments”
John 14:15 -21
The love that Jesus speaks of is a love that is aware of God’s presence in other people. This love recognizes the dignity of each person and respects individuality. We say that God’s love embraces everyone; then, our love should be based in God’s standards not our own. It is the love that seeks the best for others even when they are living in a way that is not necessarily our choice. There is no room for bigotry, exclusion or hate speech in the lives of those who claim to follow Jesus. Jesus points us to a better way. To be followers of Jesus, we need to seek reconciliation where there are barriers, to build unity where there is confrontation and to infuse love where there is hatred.
Prayer
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Action
Who is excluded from the circle of my love? Why? What can I do ?
Suggested Reading
Those who have my commandments and observe them
are the ones who love me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
John 14:20-21
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; you shalt love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 5:14
The happiness that everyone desires, for that matter, can be expressed in any number of ways and attained only if we are capable of loving.
Pope Francis
I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?
Mother Teresa
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
I John 3:18Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart.
Countess of Blessington
One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.
Franklin Thomas
If only closed minds came with closed mouths.
evolvefish.com
At any given moment, public opinion is a chaos of superstition, misinformation, and prejudice.
Gore Vidal