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January 5, 2023How are we able to see greater things in a world drowned in hedonism, defeatism, and nihilism? Christians are seen as outlaws because we are radically distant from the norm of what society currently believes in. We are looked down on and dismissed on every occasion due to our "outdated" values. At times, we are bullied, pushed around, and deceived by individuals who desire the satisfaction of seeing disorder and chaos in a religion that prides itself on harmony and order. But when we experience those stigmas, it is important to remind ourselves: "Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you," because people are afraid of what they don't understand. And so, in their fear, they turn to ignorance and villainy. Not because they are born evil, but because they don't recognize the truth. Hence, we are called to be unconditionally compassionate toward such people. When we exercise that Christ-like compassion, we acknowledge the fragility of this life compared to the life to come, and we grow in love because of that recognition. We realize that we are no longer living in the present but in the future. Far from being disillusioned with what we are and what the world is, we instead provide a foretaste of the Kingdom to come.
And we do so out of a total love that goes beyond the bounds of family and friendships but enters laying down our lives for the people we are supposed to see as our brothers and sisters, no matter how vile and wicked they are and are likely to become. Indeed, it is easier said than done, but the Church was not built on words. It takes effort. Practice. Discipline. Action. And we do these things by accepting ourselves as children of God. Because the day we lose our wonder for impossible things, the day we lose our humility in the face of the miraculous, we become something less instead of something more. And if the standard set is not high enough, remember that we must love tirelessly with joy in our hearts. It is through His joy that we can see the great light that makes the miracles of times past pale in comparison to what we experience when we love our neighbor as Christ taught us. This great light is one of the greater things that Nathanael would see if he were to follow Him; this great light that lowered Himself from His throne to set an unparalleled example of humility, love, and joy in the face of an age embroiled in disarray, confusion, and brutality.
