Friends of Christ
Acts 15: 22-31; Jn 15: 12-17While the readings on the one hand insist on making the burden easy for the new converts to faith, on the other hand we find lofty demands such as even giving one's life for one's neighbours! The point is clear... Our faith is not a matter of do's and don'ts; it is a matter of relationship. Our faith redefines our relationship with God: from mere creatures we are given the identity of God's beloved; friends of Christ!
Being friends of Christ, it is natural that the demands are high. After all, did not Jesus insist that, "from the one to whom much is given, much will be demanded" (Lk 12:48)? But the demands are not merely to do something and to avoid something else, but the demand is about an entire lifestyle. It is to model our life after that of Christ.
The relationship with Christ, or the friendship with Jesus affects all other relationships of our's. The friends of our friend, should be our friends too! The love we have for the Lord compels us to be loving persons with every person around us: not just our friends, but even with strangers, people whom we just casually bump into, or even with those who might have offended us. Even if we do not lay down our life, are we not expected to lay down at least our ego when it comes to our relationships?