Not to condemn but to save

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ST. John in his gospel made it clear what God’s attitude

is toward us. “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the

world,” he said, “but that the world might be saved through him.”

(3,17)

            That divine attitude should also be ours toward one

another. That’s why Christ, our redeemer who accomplished his mission

of redeeming us more by offering forgiveness rather than by just

preaching about what is right and wrong, gave us a new commandment

that summarizes and perfects all the previous commandments God has

given us.

            “Love one another as I have loved you,” (Jn 13,34)  he

said, literally telling us that we should be more forgiving as he was

and is, rather than merely insisting on what is right.

            Reiterating this point, he said that it is with this

attitude that we can truly be considered as Christ’s disciples. (cfr.

Jn 13,35) In other words, unless we are forgiving and merciful as

Christ is to all of us, we would not be truly his disciples if we

insist simply on being right. Such attitude would be considered

self-righteous, because that is not the righteousness taught, shown

and commanded by Christ to us.

            That is also why Christ told us clearly that we have to

love our enemies. “Do good to those who hate you,” he said, “bless

those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps

you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your

coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.” (Lk 6,27-29)

            We need to examine ourselves if we truly have this

attitude of Christ, if we truly follow what he taught us and what he

himself did. We have to moderate our reactions if not restrain

ourselves from our tendency to immediately fight back, seek revenge,

complain and accuse everytime we feel offended.

            This does not mean that we should not be interested in

justice and in affirming and defending what is right from wrong. But

in all these efforts, we should not compromise the charity that Christ

is commanding us to live. Like Christ, we have to be magnanimous,

patient, willing to suffer.

            We have to be willing to offer forgiveness and mercy. Like

Christ we have to be willing to bear the wrongs of the others, and to

work for their conversion, instead of focusing as our ultimate goal

the righting of what is wrong. We can never have perfect justice here

on earth. That justice can only be given by God himself.

            We have to realize that with our human condition, we

cannot totally avoid what is wrong, evil and sinful in this life.

That’s a given that we should not waste time debating about anymore.

We just have to follow the example and commandment of Christ when

dealing with this unavoidable fact of life.

  

            When we have to fight for justice and for what is right,

let it be that we do it with magnanimity and humility, and never as an

expression of self-righteousness. As one saint once said, let us

simply drown evil with an abundance of good, even if in the process,

we are made to suffer, and to suffer unjustly.

            Let’s never forget that as many people have already

affirmed, our life here on earth and the world itself can be very

unfair. Let’s not make a big issue out of this reality. Fairness and

justice can only be perfectly achieved when we follow the example of

Christ.

            Obviously, a training in the virtues of charity, mercy,

magnanimity, patience, humility, etc. is a must and should be carried

out right at the bosom of each family. It has to be shown that it is

in these virtues where we can have our true liberation, our salvation,

our fulfilment.