Love - and how you treat the other
Monday, Fifth week in Lent - 3rd April, 2017
Dan 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; Jn 8:1-11
Dan 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; Jn 8:1-11
First is, knowing little and manipulating it. This is Evil. We know very little about the person, but even that very little we try to make use of, for our own good, manipulating and exploiting the other, without even offering the other the due dignity and respect the person deserves. The two evil men in the episode of Susanna and all those who were involved with the woman spoken of in the Gospel today - they come under this category - the Use and Throw Society.
The second category is, knowing nothing but judging. This is Sinful. We know nothing much about the person but we judge the person, basing ourselves on the judgments and opinion spread by people. Whether we try to know the real truth or not, we are more eager to judge, hold an opinion and keep ratifying it by our own interpretation. The people who stood around in both the episodes in the Word today, are of this category. We are so busy judging the persons that we do not have the time to really understand what the person is going through - the Curious and Judgmental Society.
The third category is, knowing the person and loving the person genuinely, that you try to empathise with the person and understand the person, leading the person to a holistic dignified life. This is Love. Jesus and Daniel, give us a wonderful example of this disposition to persons. Love is all about how you treat others. Whether Jesus or Daniel, they were respectful, mindful of the dignity of persons, willing to listen to them, open to accepting them and eager to see them live, live a happy and wholesome life : this is love. Only those who do this belong to a truly Christ-ian Society.