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LOVING OTHER PEOPLEFinding God's Love - Chapter PreviewThe devotee or lover of God eventually comes to see the world and everyone in it as God. Herein lies the foundation for loving other people. Saying this is easy. However, our goal is to feel it and that is not so easy. When we love and serve other persons we are loving and serving God directly. The same will apply to animals and Mother Nature. In a way, it is easier to love other people than it is to love God because other people are specifically tangible. God is tangible but not specifically as this or that. Rather, God is the entire universe or we could say the universe is God's incarnation. In another way, it is easier to love God than to love other people because of the deep wounds and hurts that we feel we have received from other persons. We have so much mistrust and sorrowful baggage that it is difficult to tear down our fortress of defense thus allowing the river of love to flow to others even for a moment. We can rightly feel that God loves us unconditionally like a mother would. God is willing to accept us no matter what sin or crime we might have committed in the past. Because of this, most of us will begin the path of love by loving God, which will then open our hearts enough to begin to love other people. Loving and serving other people is truly loving and serving God. Jesus said:When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:31-40 NIVWe should pause to consider that loving other people does not always mean letting them have their own way. A criminal should be imprisoned, not because we must extract punishment as an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; not out of revenge, but rather a criminal must be locked away as an act of compassion. We save the criminal from himself and we do not give him the opportunity to continue harming others. Also, and just as important, we must protect society as a whole from his willingness to commit misdeeds. It is our motive that is important. Amma comments on this point:Young leader: But Mother, there is a problem when we talk about selflessness. Suppose some aggressors forcefully pluck coconuts from the coconut trees of the ashram and take them away. Now, what would Mother do? Would you simply allow them to take the coconuts or would you call the police? It is selfishness if you call the police, isn't it? Available in a 80 page 6"x 9" paperback February 1, 2004 for $13.95 + Shipping. |
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