Humanity is an idea; people are the stuff of everyday life and the problem

Humanity is an idea; people are the stuff of everyday life
and the problem​

We are commanded to love, to serve; even our enemies. In fact we are to reach out to those who are least like us, those we fear, those who may hate us, the unattractive, the untidy, the criminal, those in prison, the poor on the street and yes the rich and powerful, those better than us, more advanced than us, more intelligent than us. Our Lord commands us to do one thing; our emotions and feelings tell us another story entirely.

Before we can be in communion with all, we have to grow in the understanding that we can’t do it on our own. What the Lord is asking of us is impossible; it goes against all of our survival instincts. We naturally love those like us. Fear those different than us. Hate and seek revenge on those who hurt us, or our loved ones etc. It is normal, easy, and we often call such reactions ‘justice’. I can’t do it; I fall easily into anger, seeking revenge and the struggle to have power over others.

When we seek the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to draw us into deep humility, which is the ability to accept and embrace our own humanity, with all of its beauty, as well as that which is destructive, both to us, and to others, it is then our journey truly begins. Yes we are also called to love ourselves, for how can we love our neighbors as ourselves, if we have self-hatred and contempt towards our own humanity?

When we know ourselves and understand that we are loved by God, in spite of all that we see that keeps us from returning that love…It is then that we begin to see with the eyes of Christ Jesus. For the more we know ourselves, with our sinfulness, as will as with aspects of our lives that can be called compulsion and addiction, we learn compassion and develop empathy for others.

The Lord is calling us to a death to self that leads to a fuller life, which flows from allowing the Lord’s life to grow in our own heart until our hearts become the Heart of Christ Jesus. Without knowing ourselves, and loving ourselves, which flows from true humility, it is impossible to love those outside of our own comfort zone. For judgment, of the kind that Jesus forbids us to do, is all that we can do. We are harsh to block out the humanity of those ‘others’, then we can let go of compassion and empathy, closing off our hearts to a large segment of humanity. In doing so, we move towards death. For those we hate and despised or in reality Jesus Christ.

It is easy to love humanity; it is people who are the problem. Humanity is an idea, people are the stuff of everyday life and the problem. This applies to our-selves as well, for we can be a big problem to ourselves if we do not start with loving ourselves as the Lord commands.

Expanding our hearts to become true flesh

All we have is today,
this glorious gift of our lives,
where we choose to give and love,
and heal and serve;
becoming simple servants
of the Lord.

Time flies by faster it seems
as each year passes by,
reminding us that we are pilgrims
passing through,
hoping to make this place a little better

Allowing the Lord to use our arms to hold,
our feet to run to help,
our hearts to love
becoming one with His humanity,
true, complete, perfect,
calling us all to allow Him to live in us,
expanding our hearts to become true flesh,
allowing the stone casing to become powder
to be blown away by the Holy Spirit,
the Infinite Fire of God’s love. –Br.MD​

 

It's so true Mark........ the Call to love our enemies [in our humanity is impossible] but with God all things are possible!


Your poem is beautiful and it reminds me of the prayer of St Francis!
I seem to need this prayer more and more each day to remind me of my souls purpose.

On meditating on your above post I was also struck by the power of words!

I think it is stated somewhere that the tongue is the rudder of the soul or something to that effect! and I think the power of words can be a two edge sword, as words can cause much destruction! But.........Words can also heal!

So thank you for your wise and healing words.

God Bless.

Prayer of St Francis

Lord, make me a channel of thy peace;

that where there is hatred, I may bring love,

that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness,

that where there is discord, I may bring harmony,

that where there is error, I may bring truth,

that where there is doubt, I may bring faith,

that where there is despair, I may bring hope,

that where there are shadows, I may bring light,

that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;
to understand, than to be understood;
to love, than to be loved.

For it is by forgetting self that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.
Amen.