Exercise the ministry of love!

Buddha spoke of Universal Love: “Human life is dukkha (suffering, unhappiness or dissatisfaction) which has two causes—ignorance and desire. People are bound by three fetters: passion, hatred, and stupidity which could be broken by wisdom and love (or compassion).” Our culture truly embodies those fetters in all possible ways.

Our love is first and foremost is seen as a community love. The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility. We as a Church are set to proclaim the Word of God, celebrate the Sacraments and exercise the ministry of love. Love is the responsibility of the Church. This ministry of love though starts from human love, rises to the love of God. We do have a book in the Bible called ‘Song of Songs’. Our human love constantly has to model on God’s love.

Erick Fromm argues that in modern world happiness consists in the thrill of looking at the shop windows. “Attractive” usually means a nice package of qualities which are popular and sought after on the personality market. What specifically makes a person attractive depends on the fashion of the time, physically as well as mentally. In a culture in which the marketing orientation prevails and in which material success is the outstanding value, there is little reason to be surprised that human love relations follow the same pattern of exchange which governs the commodity and the labor market (The Art of Loving).

“Doubled divorce rate, tripled teen suicide rate, quadrupled rate of reported violent crime, quintupled prison population, sextupled percent of babies born to unmarried parents, sevenfold increase in cohabitation, soaring rate of depression – to ten times the pre-World War II level by one estimate” (David G Myers, “Wanting More in an Age of Plenty,” Christianity Today, April 24, 2000).

Gandhi said, “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.” We are created to love. Love necessarily implies basic elements such as care, responsibility, respect and knowledge.

Care is seen against Cain’s question: Am I my brother’s keep? God is described as a Mother, father who cares, loves, nourishes. Responsibility is seen against all forms of domination and possessiveness. It is interesting to note the gospel calls it a commandment of love: it is indeed a freedom to love. God’s respect for us is love. Respect is seen against misuse and abuse of freedom. Knowledge is seen as the many attempts to get to know the depth of a person.

Jesus is indeed the incarnation of God’s love. In the same way we are the incarnations of Jesus’ love because we bear the name of Christ. We are Christians. As long as we are Christians or even as humans we grow in love because Love is not an automatic gift, it is an art that we all have to learn to bring about a change in our society. Let’s love sincerely and from the heart. Amen.