Our Gospel reading this weekend is not an easy message for us to hear as
it challenges our natural instincts when it comes to human interactions.
While we may recoil or try to find ways to soften his words or justify our
actions, the message is clear. If we want things to change, we must be
willing to change ourselves, our way of thinking and acting.
Rather than responding in kind, Jesus calls us to embrace a different path,
a path that leads to tolerance, peace, justice, and ultimately, to happiness.
He challenges us to show love to our enemies, to bless those who curse
us, to not retaliate against those who harm or injure us, to be generous to
those in need, and to show mercy and forgiveness to those who offend us.
This challenge is not easy because it runs counter to what society and our
culture teach.
The path that Jesus sets before us invites us to learn to not let differences
become walls that separate us from one another. We are all in the boat
together. To love someone is to see their dignity and value as a human
being and to want the best for them. While we may disagree with people, it
does not give us license to devalue or degrade them. We can speak the
truth, we can struggle for justice, but we must do so with love.
As we close out Black History month, the civil rights movement in this
country is a shining example of how the world can be changed by the
power of love. Martin Luther King called for people to stand up without
returning violence for violence. The young men and women sitting at the
lunch counters were taunted and beaten but they did not return the
violence. People had dogs turned on them; they were arrested and beaten;
yet they responded without further violence. A nonviolent response takes
courage and resolve, and it changes the dynamic; it shows clearly where
the dignity lies, and most importantly, it ends the cycle of vindictiveness
and revenge in our hearts.
If we want things to change, we simply have to read today’s Gospel and
admit that there is a better way forward. Change is not easy, but the
change to which Jesus is calling us will bring peace and we will change the
world when we stand united in love. Change must first begin within each
one of us.
May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forever
more.

+Harry