Anyway, it's from today's Mass reading. Well, since it's this late, I suppose it's yesterday's reading. No matter.
If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Pax et bonum
They generate plenty on Facebook...just saying.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. The only conversations that happen here are about gay people.
DeleteAnd what do you expect to hear/read? Quoting a single passage from the Scripture doesn't really take us anywhere. What about the context? What does it mean to love my brother? You presume we operate on the same premises, yet it isn't true. So, what should we discuss, then?
ReplyDeleteThose conversations about gay people are, in fact, discussions about the clash between the Christianity and gays. Gays, as such, are beyond the interest and expertise of the Christianity.
To love someone is to be patient, kind, not jealous nor boastful nor arrogant with them. When dealing with your brother, do not seek your own kind nor be provoked or take into account wrong done to you. You are to bear, believe, hope and endure. THAT is love. (I Cor. 13:4-7)
DeleteAs to the 'gay' discussions, I see it as exactly within the purview of Christianity, as it shows how Christians treat 'the other', if they truly practice the Master's words of loving one another and, thus, are with God (who is Love (I John)) or not.
I'm more interested in your interpretation and day-to-day application.
DeleteOnce again, given the context, what does it mean to love one another (a gay person)?
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DeleteLove your neighbour as yourself and to treat others as you would wish to be treated. As the Master points out, it means nothing to love those who love us or to treat people as they treat us, for even the unbelievers do that (Lk 9).
DeleteIn the practical, daily application, I would want other people to treat me with care and respect, allowing me to follow the ethical and moral path which my own Spirituality and religious experience deems is right and proper. Ergo, I should do that for others, especially those whose ethical/moral path is not my own and who do not share my own understanding of religion or God.
Given the context, What is your understanding of the commandment to love one another, especially someone who has been created by God differently than yourself?
To me, you proposed nothing practical, but you only re-phrased general principles.
DeleteWhat does it mean to follow own ethical and moral path? If anyone wants, according to his own moral sense, to instigate mass murders on gay people, shouldn't we allow we, in light of what you wrote? I may not want to participate in it, but why should I oppose, then? And if anyone kills massive amount of people due to his different understanding of religion or God?
"created by God differently" - are you sure of that? How do you know that? It's only your interpretation and nothing else. What's more, it's even not Christian, so I don't know how to answer your question in a Christian way.
In a more practical terms - live and let live. I don't care how you lead your life as long as you don't bring it to the public and demand a universal recognition for it. I don't care about your life as long as you keep it to yourself - I don't need and I want to know, unless I state otherwise. If you want to play, then deal with the consequences afterwards - isn't it true that every game requires some level of pain? Please understand, that you can't force people to like you or love you. Deal with it, and go on with your life.
Peter, you're fond of asking questions, but today I have one for you: what does it mean to YOU to love others as brothers and sisters, especially in the way Jesus is speaking about in the above-quoted passage?
DeleteI'd say it should be contextual for every person and situation is different.
DeleteThanks for indulging my question.
DeleteThis passage was a gift to me this morning. A reminder, after some bad behavior on my part yesterday, of where I should be seeking God. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. I need reminded of it daily.
DeleteInteresting. I would agree on principle. But here is the thing. What if one doesn't hate anybody, not necessarily because of love of God (perhaps that person could be an Agnostic), but simply because she/he has come to realize it is not worth the effort and emotional/psychic expenditure? I wonder. Of course you are not arguing when using that passage that a person will not hate ONLY out of love for God. The passage just teased that thought, that's all.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very intriguing thought.
DeleteI wonder if this might not be a case of acedia or spiritual sloth since we are commanded to love one another. I do not say this to cast stone, far be it from a sinner like me, but I wondered if that might be the case.
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