Coffee With God

Reflection: Matthew 5:43-48

The phrase “Racial profiling” has become part of our modern vocabulary. It signifies suspicion regarding people of a particular ethnic or racial background solely on the basis of their appearance. It was indeed a problem in the past and it continues to be the curse of the present society. Discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity and religion easily affect our outlook of people around us. Discrimination on people on the basis of their economic and social status is rampant even in Church communities today. The Gospel today directly addresses this problem. The law of the Old Testament commanded love of one’s fellow citi¬zens which implied hatred for the pagans. But, the Commandment of the Jesus calls on his disciples to look beyond. The mandate of Jesus in the New Testament calls us to love everyone. Pope Francis explains what makes a Christian different from others. He says, “The mystery of Christian life is loving our enemies and praying for our persecutors. Forgiveness, prayer, and love for those who seek to destroy us is the path Jesus has laid out for us. The challenge of Christian life is asking the Lord for the grace to bless our enemies and to love them.” Well said, but how far is it possible? How many families do we know, where there is no more love among siblings, between spouses, or between children and their parents? We may boast of having no enemies. But think of the times when we discriminated our brothers and sisters because of their socio-economic status or their religious beliefs or we faced discrimination and were rejected because of these same reasons. Cases of rejection and labelling people as “bad” or “good-for-nothing’ is no more Christian because they too are God’s own children as we are! Hatred, gossips and acts of violence are totally un-Christian. Rejection and denial of those who disagree with one’s personal ideologies and projects is against the life principles of Jesus. He taught us to love; to love without conditions and boundaries. To love even the enemies. Jesus sets “the bar very high” for those who wish to become his disciple. Had the world listened to the voice of Christ, it would never have heard about wars, killings and fighting. The crises of refugees and displaced people would never have occurred amidst us. Millions of people are displaced and are subjected to abuses and torture in this time of crises. Can we be a little more compassionate and empathetic towards people on the streets, migrant workers, low-income families…? Let us continue to pray for the people of Ukraine and Russia and also refugees and suffering people all over the world in this time of Lent.