If everyone is good and decent, why do we have so many more mass shootings and undeniable signs of a broken society? If everyone is supposed to do what is asked of them according to what is just and right, why would we see so much more vocal dissatisfactions? Perhaps the problem is with the very lies or denials of reality. Too many people think that they are good but tend to excuse themselves from doing what is truly right and just. It is much more than simply getting by, not getting caught, or passing the legalistic interpretation of human laws, but to truly seek to live in the goodness and life-giving truth that comes from God. If we only want to do what is basically and legalistically defined, we lack true love and determination to grow and mature according to what the good Lord asks of us to be as His disciples. For us as Christians, it is never about proving one’s self according to whatever “good enough” standards that we have drawn for ourselves. We are called to seek holiness, sanctifying ourselves by maturing in humility, genuineness, and self-giving love that emulates God‘s own loving heart for others. We are called not to simply desire worldly things but to be faithful in our everyday interaction and love with great love.
This is not a shaming session but, hopefully, a reflective and soul-searching one. Let us be honest in recognizing that we are all weak and held back by our own limitations and weaknesses, even if we desire and try our best to stay away from sin! If we only aim to be good in the eye of the law or our very own subjective self-centeredness, we will miss the whole purposeful invitation to genuinely love and give ourselves in love. Those who are in love or have loved someone dearly will know that love has no quantifiable measures. It is not based on doing something “good enough” and leaving matters there.
True love requires a genuine, humble, and sacrificial donation of our very own self to the ones who truly matter and are important to us. In love, it is never about doing the minimum or enough to pass by. It is not based on some quantifiable counts but qualitative measures of what comes from the heart. Therefore, love is tied to faith because it requires us to get beyond ourselves, to truly believe, trust, and give what is from the bottom of our hearts so that we can return to God what He has endowed, gifted, and given to us first when He created us.
As Christians, we are called to a greater life of holiness, stewardship, and sacrifice because we try our best to give the very gift of our own self in each and every encounter, to each and every person, with each and every relationship without counting the costs or worrying about what only seems to be beneficial for us on a legalistic or humanistic level. It is sad that our world has taught us to think that we are good enough to get by with what we define or work for ourselves. It tells us to define and judge everything on quantifiable, calculative, and measurable means instead of true, genuine, and personal qualities of love.
Furthermore, religious or spiritual matters are only there to inspire and support people in their daily endeavors, future desires, or life goals. Christ becomes an enlightened model of generous actions, inspiring us with His words and actions to become a better version of ourselves. People dislike to be lectured or disciplined; therefore, the version of God that they like is the one that humanly inspires and motivates. There is no longer a need for salvation or redemption because we are inherently good and cannot do any major wrongdoings, just small mistakes. We, then, become free to do whatever we want because we have the ability to define ourselves. It is up to us to realize ourselves with whatever we think is our fullest capacity as long as we feel good and are satisfied with ourselves.
In his vision to the church in Ephesus, Saint John wrote the Lord‘s words to the community who had undergone a lot of persecutions and turmoils as believers. However, they also had forgotten their original purpose and calling along the way. He said, “Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4) Hence, just like the Ephesian community, it is very easy for us to get ourselves so busy to do all the right things exteriorly but lose focus on nourishing and deepening our first love.
When we get too bogged down and distracted by what needs to be done, we have unjustly allowed ourselves, our loved ones, and our relationships to be defined by what we are doing and not doing instead of focusing on what we are truly called to be. When we choose to define relationships with a scale based on quantifiable productivity and benefits, we lose the real focus and life-giving invitation to give the genuine, affectionate, personal, and intimate gift of ourselves in being who we truly are.
We are called to love those who are given to us, even though they might not be likable at times. We are called to forgive and reconcile just as God has forgiven us. We are called to heal and transform the present failures and hurts because God‘s grace is working in and through us to heal our own failures and sins against Him. We are called to give ourselves because God has taught us how to love intimately, personally, and genuinely through the gift of Himself to us.
We cannot save ourselves because we are too confused by many lesser goods and appealing voices that lead to nowhere, so we have to lift our hearts to the Lord and allow His love to change us. All of the saviors who came to promise revolutions and changes had turned out insufficient, all the things that this world promised to make us happy also ended up empty. We need the Savior!
It is He who taught us the true lesson of love by the dying of our own self and to embrace the Cross out of love for love. It is He who can set us free through His own kenosis (self-emptying) to live like us in all things but sin, to suffer and die for us, rise again, and send the Holy Spirit upon us to guide us. We are given the Spirit of true freedom that is grounded in love — not of fears, manipulation, objectification, or calculation — as children of our Heavenly Father. We have been redeemed by Christ, and through the power and working of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed into Him each and every single day as to call out to God, “Abba, Father!” (cf. Galatians 4:6)
The amount of grace that can be received depends on how much one is willing to be honest and humble to receive. It is important to remember that God gives to each person differently and appropriately, so it is proper not to be demanding and getting frustrated with what could have been, should have been, or would have been for us. God gives, and we give thanks.
We all begin small, but with perseverance, courage, and humility — as well as time and patience, God is able to bring into fulfillment what He has begun in us if we trust in Him. We will go through many blessings and struggles, trials and hardships, and moments of loving grace, but God is always with us. Just as we need to train ourselves physically to tone and strengthen our muscles, our soul and its spirit must be holistically exercised in conjunction with our humanity to truly mature and be rounded with what God wants us to be. We have to be willing, yet patient, to activate the gifts and understand the lessons that God has for us at each stage of the journey to overcome the present obstacles.
I Thirst (John 19:28) with Father Khoi 