Contemplation #85
Only God can teach us to love. It is not enough to understand that we need to love others, for if we endeavor to do this from our own sense of love we will act out of self-love, the need for acceptance, out of condescension, or some other flawed substitute for charity. We will definitely not love with God’s love unless we learn from him. The first lesson of God’s love is that we die to ourselves. Putting to death self-love will do more to move us to the divine love of others than all attempts to focus our concern and care on our neighbors while staying alive to ourselves.
Contemplation #86
The more we see our self-concern dying, the more we discover others – their needs and the gifts they bring to us. We cannot love others because they have needs, or we may become enthralled with how we might supply what they are lacking, and this is love of self as “useful”. We cannot love others because of what they give to us, for this is simply the love of ourselves and our own needs. Even though dying to self makes us alive to the lives of others, our love for all others must be rooted only in God – which allows neither delusions of self-competence nor room for self-gratification. God will teach us love which is selfless.
Contemplation #87
What will loving others be like? Think of Jesus. Love for others will come out of oneness with God, but such love will not always be understood by the world. Such love will know what to say to encourage the struggling, and to rebuke the confident. This love will defend the oppressed, and denounce the oppressors; provide for the needs of the deprived, but refuse to allow that provision to become a fixation. This love will suffer abuse, and resist not injustice to itself. So selfless is this love that death itself is no barrier to relationship with God or sharing that with others. Only God teaches this love.
Only God can teach us to love. It is not enough to understand that we need to love others, for if we endeavor to do this from our own sense of love we will act out of self-love, the need for acceptance, out of condescension, or some other flawed substitute for charity. We will definitely not love with God’s love unless we learn from him. The first lesson of God’s love is that we die to ourselves. Putting to death self-love will do more to move us to the divine love of others than all attempts to focus our concern and care on our neighbors while staying alive to ourselves.
Contemplation #86
The more we see our self-concern dying, the more we discover others – their needs and the gifts they bring to us. We cannot love others because they have needs, or we may become enthralled with how we might supply what they are lacking, and this is love of self as “useful”. We cannot love others because of what they give to us, for this is simply the love of ourselves and our own needs. Even though dying to self makes us alive to the lives of others, our love for all others must be rooted only in God – which allows neither delusions of self-competence nor room for self-gratification. God will teach us love which is selfless.
Contemplation #87
What will loving others be like? Think of Jesus. Love for others will come out of oneness with God, but such love will not always be understood by the world. Such love will know what to say to encourage the struggling, and to rebuke the confident. This love will defend the oppressed, and denounce the oppressors; provide for the needs of the deprived, but refuse to allow that provision to become a fixation. This love will suffer abuse, and resist not injustice to itself. So selfless is this love that death itself is no barrier to relationship with God or sharing that with others. Only God teaches this love.
posted by Greg at 10:47 AM
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