I have a schedule to help me read through the Bible once a year. Every September 11th, I’m surprised by the scheduled Gospel passage. Every year, I’m convicted anew:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
(Lk 6:27-36)
Love, do good, bless, forgive. That is our response to evil and hatred and senseless violence. That is our response to prejudice and war and vengefulness. That is our response to suffering and sorrow and grief. We cast no aspersions. We refuse to wallow. We take each other by the hand and keep each other strong as we stand in grace to do what is impossible: to embrace those who hate us and weep with those who curse us. It will never be easy, and for many the wounds won’t heal until we find ourselves held by his pierced hands and surrounded by glory. But we pour out the blood that still seeps from those wounds in love for those who suffer and for those who caused that suffering. With St. Paul we rejoice in hope, we endure in affliction, we persevere in prayer.1
Today, I am so grateful for God’s grace and mercy poured out on me when I will never deserve it. Today, I ache for those who know loss and rage and bitterness in a way that I never have. Today, I beg to be emptied of myself and filled with him who is love, to love those who don’t deserve it because he first loved me.2
Today, I choose love.