Today, did I love?

The single most important word in the Christian faith is love (Mt. 22:36-39, Jn 13:34, Mt 5:43-44, I Cor 13:13, I Jn 4:8).  The basis for every atrocity throughout human history?  Dehumanization.  It is the first rule of warfare, the basis of American slavery, the genocide of our Indigenous Peoples, the European holocaust.  It distorts the imago dei (the image of God in which we were created) that devalues and justifies harm.  But the literal translation of the word “gospel” is “good news”.  I know of no one who takes as good news being made afraid or shamed for being who they are or dehumanized.

The gospel means good news, love is most important, and dehumanization is rampant.  But you can’t dehumanize someone and claim Christlike love at the same time.  So what do we do?  In the end, no one is going to question how much money you made, how much stuff you accumulated, how much time you spent in the office.  But you might very well be asked who you nurtured, who sacrificed for, who you stood next to when forces of greed and dehumanization and violence threaten to define the world we live in.  So what do we do?  What we do is quote Henri Nouwen; or even better, we live Henri Nouwen.

Did I offer peace today?
Did I bring a smile to someone's face?
Did I say words of healing?
Did I let go of my anger and resentment?
Did I forgive?
Did I love?  Today, did I love?

-- Marc