"Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma," Saint Paul challenges us in today's first reading, Eph. 4: 32-5:8. "Be an imitator of God." God is a loving God. God is a caring God. God is a compassionate God. God is an inclusive God. Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world, became one of us, not to condemn us but to save us! "Be an imitator of God!" How loving am I, caring am I, compassionate am I, first of all toward myself? toward others? toward those of another race, another culture? How loving am I toward those I do not like? can't stand to be around? How caring am I? toward the homeless, the neglected; those whose who are repulsively unclean, uncaring, unloving? How compassionate am I toward the same?
"Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma." How willing am I to be" handed over" for another person's sake? that another person not be "stoned with words," that the other is not embarrassed, that another person's need is met while the meeting of my need is delayed? Am I willing to sacrifice for the opportunity that another person to have a chance to "shine"?
The Christian journey of faith is a demanding one. Am I up to the challenge?
No comments:
Post a Comment