The fullness of our brotherhood

WE are all brothers and sisters for the simple reason that

we are all children of God. Unless we relate our relationship with one

another with our relationship with God can we come to that conclusion

that we indeed form one family, committed to love one another

irrespective of whatever.

  

            Otherwise, our attitude and behavior toward all the others

would simply be constrained by the many conditionings here on

earth—biological, cultural, historical, social, political, etc. These

factors, while having their legitimate value and role in our life, do

not capture the whole truth about our relationship with one another.

  

            Of course, to be aware of this wonderful, fundamental

truth about ourselves, we need to stir ourselves constantly by the

impulses of our faith. We need to do this to ward off the danger of

getting so familiar with the others as to fail to recognize the

fullness of our brotherhood and to behave accordingly.

  

            We need to see others the way Christ sees all of us. It is

he who shows us how to treat one another. He commanded us to love one

another as he himself has loved us. And his love that went all the way

to offering his life for all of us.

  

            We have to be most wary of our tendency to take the others

for granted, considering them only physically or socially or

politically, etc.  Let’s remember what happened to Christ when he

visited his own people in the synagogue. (cfr. Mt 13,54-58)

  

            They did not realize that Christ was the very Son of God

who came to save all of us. They were scandalized by the many good

things that he did and said, since they considered him only too

humanly. “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named

Mary…”  They could not consider him beyond those human categories.

This is a classic example of the saying, “Familiarity breeds

contempt.”

  

            This can happen to us in our relationship with the others.

We can look at them only too humanly that we fail to realize that each

one of us, no matter what human condition one is in, is a child of

God, an image and likeness of God, who may have sinned, but who is

also redeemed by Christ. Christ died for each one of us!

  

            We need to train ourselves to consider the others beyond

our human categories and natural conditionings. And, of course, the

model for this is none other than Christ himself.

  

            We have to train ourselves to consider the others beyond

our unavoidable differences, let alone, the mistakes and offenses that

we can commit among ourselves. Each one of us has an intrinsic dignity

that is above the sum of all our thoughts, words and deeds.

            Even if a person is completely dumb or is a criminal, he

is still a child of God unless that person himself knowingly,

willingly and therefore culpably disowns God. Otherwise, he is still

our brother whom we have to love with the love of Christ. It’s a love

that understands everyone, is willing to bear all the weaknesses and

sins of men, is eager to offer forgiveness, etc.

  

            This is the fullness of brotherhood that we are supposed

to live among ourselves!