Give courage to our neighbour

How quick am I to pounce if my neighbour makes a mistake! How quick do I pass judgement without even knowing the full facts! How quick do I call someone who holds different opinion political or otherwise, a liar or a cheat, or somebody who is not honest whilst putting me in the best possible light of honesty and integrity! Fool me: by doing this I have become the very person I condemn in the other! Jesus asks me time and again to love with his love, which puts all categories to one side in order to be always with the person next to me: There is no obstacle, because love conquers all, and that love is always concrete, is full of action! I was struck by a reflection written by Chiara Lubich on the adulteress.

Jesus wants to expose man's hypocrisy, when he sets himself up as the judge of his brother who is a sinner, without recognising that he himself is a sinner. His words emphasise the well-known declaration: 'Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged'. (Mt. 7:1-2)(…)

 

(…)We must remember that we too are sinners when we are faced with any of our brothers or sisters. We all have sinned and if it seems to us that we have not made any big mistakes, we should bear in mind that we may not always appreciate the weight of circumstances that has caused others to fall so low and to separate themselves from God in the way they did. How would we have acted if we had been in their place?

 

In any case we too have broken the bond of love which should unite us to God. We have not been faithful to him. In a way we have fallen into the sin of adultery in terms of our relationship with God.

 

If Jesus, the only sinless man, did not throw the first stone against the woman taken in adultery, we too should not throw the first stone against anyone.

 

In conclusion. We should be merciful to everyone, and react against certain impulses which move us to condemn without pity. We must know how to forgive and forget. We should not keep the remains of judgements and resentment in our heart where anger and hatred may breed and separate us from our brothers. We should see each person as if they were new.

 

By having love and mercy towards everyone in our heart instead of judgement and condemnation, we will help others to begin a new life and each time we will give them courage to start again. (…)

It is very encouraging! I can start again despite all that has happened, all the mistakes I made. So if God allows me to start again I must allow my neighbour to start again!