Brothers and Sisters,
We all know we are called to love God unconditionally. But do we love our neighbor with that same unconditional love? When it comes to loving others as we love God, that’s when we tend to place conditions on who and how we love. We want to love someone when there are strong feelings of love. At times, some feelings are good. But when it comes to giving ourselves to others in love, we have to make decisions. No one can command you to have warm, fuzzy feelings toward another. Not even God commands that of us. We cannot even tell ourselves to have nice, warm, loving and intimate feelings toward another. Even if we could, would it matter? No. It’s what we do that matters, not how we feel. But Jesus is not speaking here of emotions and feelings in the Gospel this week. He knows how absolutely changeable and unreliable feelings really are. Feelings come and feelings go as they wish.
Jesus is telling us in the Gospel that love is something we do. Love is a choice, a decision, a commitment to do things. That is why Jesus is commanding us to love others. It’s what we do to others not how we feel toward them that matters.
Jesus is emphasizing that loving our neighbor is directly connected to our love of God. Love others as your heavenly Father loves them. Love them—the good and the bad alike—with the unconditional love with which your Father in heaven loves them. Love all of your neighbors in what you do to them, in what you do for them, and in how you act toward them. All of our complicated and complex feelings will eventually follow along. Jesus knows that it is only in totally giving of ourselves that we can truly be alive to the life God intends for us.
God Bless,
Deacon Howard
