Tuesday, 4 October 2016

LET MY DEEDS SPEAK - A Practical Way To show Love and Mercy.

Kosisochukwu Ukaegbu 16:46:00 Daily reflection No comments :

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’. ( Acts 20:35)

Child of God, I welcome you all to today’s reflection, our Lord Jesus Christ is and remained a perfect symbol of love. His divine love is made manifest in charity which simply means love in action.

I enjoined you all to read further so as to bask yourselves in this ocean of God’s heart which is full of love and mercy. Remain blessed as you read on.

The Hebrew concept of love is; a generous, active self giving which is modeled on God while charity means the act of rendering help to the needy, the homeless. This love is selfless and it is indeed expected and required of every Christian because our calling is not just that of conformation but rather transformation. It is important to know that love is being practicalized when we show care and help to the most abandoned such as the sick, the homeless, the needy and those in one kind of problem or the other.( John 13:34)

The problems facing our world today are deeply rooted in lack of love with its concomitant manifest effects ranging from loss of caring spirit, betrayal, blackmail, cheating of neighbor, to various kinds of murder. But as Christians we are commanded to love, following the footsteps of our Jesus Christ the personification of love. “Love one another as I have loved you” (Mark 12:28-34) is the greatest commandment and the summary of all commandments.

Mother Theresa of Culcuta would always say, “it is not how much you give but how much love you put into giving.” We must love God with our whole being and also extend this selfless act of love to our neighbors. With full hope and confidence in God’s loving heart let us rely on His words which say; kindness is a garden of blessings and almsgiving endures forever (Sirach 40:17).

For a deeper understanding of the word “Charity’, let us look deeply into the Greek word which St Paul used while addressing our Lord’s selfless act in Philippians 2:6-7: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave …” The Greek word that describes this self emptying is Kenosis. This word means self emptying of one’s will and then being docile to God’s divine will. Our Lord is indeed a significant model which every Christian is expected to look up to. Though charity involves sacrificial and selfless acts of giving towards the other, it is like an aroma or a magnet which attracts God’s blessings, favors, promotions, etc. The word of God says that “gifts open doors”, “God loves a cheerful giver”, and that “a giver shall never lack”. We have examples in the scripture of those who attracted God’s favor through charity starting from Abraham our father in faith to countless others.

Charity however, is a by-product of love and as Disciples of Christ; it is our duty and our call to be apostles of the love of God. The good Samaritan portrayed a high sense of love regardless of his background (Luke 10:8-14-22). It is important to know that the little deeds of love we render to the less privileged, we give to God (Proverb 19:17).

The Lord makes us to understand that He is always pleased with those who give cheerfully, for he who gives receives more and that the act charity delivers from iniquities (1 Peter 4:8).

Child of God, love is being made manifest in good deeds which is service, thus, it is important to know that the love of God and that of our neighbors are like two wings of a bird, since a bird cannot fly on one wing so also is love, for we cannot claim to love God then despise our neighbor.

It is crucial to know that the office of giving serves as the office of receiving while the office of teaching is the foundation of learning. Giving does not just imply money or material things.

What do you do when a friend is sick?

What attitude do you present when a friend is bereaved?

What is your attitude towards justice?

All the aforementioned questions give various dimensions of love. Therefore, brethren, let us then sustain our fight to heaven on these two wings of a bird which is love of God and love of neighbors. Let us hope in his word which says that love never ends and then since charity fuels up our prayers to God, let us ask him for the grace to love and recognize God in our neighbors.