Friend to all, foe to no one

THAT’S the ideal we ought to aim at in our relationship

with others. Everyone should be a friend of ours, regardless of our

differences and conflicts, some of them unavoidable and even

unresolvable. This is the clear mark of human and Christian

perfection.

  

            This is simply because at the end of the day, we are all

brothers and sisters, all children of God, and commanded by God

himself to love everyone, including the enemies and the unlovable.

This fundamental truth about ourselves prevails over whatever

differences and conflicts we have with one another.

  

            This is how God loves us as shown and lived by Christ

himself. Christ told it to us very clearly. “Love your enemies and

pray for those who persecute you,” he said, “that you may be children

of your Father in heaven.”

  

            He continued: “He (God) causes his sun to rise on the evil

and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If

you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even

the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people,

what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt

5,44-48)

  

            We need to pause long to digest these divine words that we

should take seriously. Did Christ really say this? Is it really

possible to love one’s enemies? Is it true that God cares for

everyone? Does loving one’s enemies reflect in us God’s perfection? We

have to have the answers to these questions to resolve and settle the

issue.

  

            I believe that the answers to these questions can only be

YES. Christ has shown it to us. His love covered everyone. In fact, he

showed some preferential attention to those who are far away from him

and are even hostile. He went all the way to offer his life for all of

us, assuming our sins which he did not commit to repay the debt we

cannot pay.

  

            Before giving up his life on the cross, he offered

forgiveness to everyone of us who in one way or another is responsible

for the greatest evil in this world—the killing of the very Son of

God. That is the extent of his love for us.

  

            We have to pray, make sacrifices and do everything to

train ourselves to acquire that kind of love. We need to have a

universal heart that loves not only those who differ from us in

matters of opinion, but also those who are hostile to us in matters of

faith and morals.

  

            In other words, we have to be willing to be crucified

ourselves, like Christ. We have to willing to go to the very gates of

hell without entering it to still save those who would be entering

there.

  

            Obviously, this can only happen if we are vitally with

Christ, when his spirit of love is the one animating our soul. On the

part of God, he has already given us everything so we can be as we

ought to be, i.e., like him.

  

            Things just depend on us. Are we willing to make some

changes in our attitudes? Are we developing the appropriate virtues

and skills so that we can approximate the example of Christ?

  

            We have to spend time and effort to make this ideal a

reality in our life. It’s always possible. We have the guarantee of

Christ himself.