LET LOVE LEAD
(Matthew 22:34-40)
In a world where leaders have
failed the led, where individuals are driven by the wrong drives, where
brutality has taken the seat of honour, where religious divisions distract the
battle against the enemy of humanity, where ethnic cum racial discrimination is
used as a tool by the government to set the people at war against each other,
In a politics where the politicians put up 'I don't care attitude' and
make empty speeches in the face of
innocent lives being wasted, in a democracy where empathy, sympathy, compassion
and affection is replaced with intimidation, threats and denials, In a society
where the constitution and the constituted authorities only encourage
oppression, suppression and marginalization, What is the commandment that
should drive our actions? What is the law that we should follow? Which
commandment can go beyond ethnicity, religious fanaticism and racism? It is the
commandment to love. Let it lead us.
The Pharisees before Jesus
It was when Jesus had silenced
the Sadducees that the Pharisees approached Him with their questions to test
Him. Having conquered fear and intimidation, having come to the realization of
the need not to keep quiet in the face of evil, what is remaining?
The Pharisees in the corridors of
power should hear from God. Let them hear the vox populi (Voice of the people)
when it blends with the vox Dei (Voice of God). Let them put away their
Pharisaic tendencies and embrace transparency. Let the people live true to
their calling. One called to lead should lead in love and not lead people to
their untimely death. Let the pharisaic act of saying one thing and meaning
another stop. Let the evil of holding people down and denying it stop. Let the
indifference to the pains and sorrows of the people cease.
Let the coming to God and His
people be done with sincerity and not to put Him to the test. Let the desires
of the people in accord with the will of God be of paramount importance.
In the confusion about which law
to follow in this moment of anarchy and chaos orchestrated by evil men in the
high and low places, let us listen to the voice of Christ who has the word of
eternal life. May the government and the governed pay attention and hear Jesus
tell us the only way out.
The Solution: Love God and
Love Man
The Pharisees asked Jesus the
greatest commandment of the law. They wanted Jesus to do a wrong constitution
amendment so that they use it against Him. But Jesus answered wisely. We need
the wisdom of God in amending the wicked and demonic constitutions that have
been misleading us as individuals and as a people.
To their question, Jesus answered:
" You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind... You shall love your neighbour as yourself"
He added; these are the greatest commandments and on them hangs all the laws
and the prophets.
The love of God should create in
us fear of God. We are in the mess we are into here because God was kept aside,
materialism, and love for many other things made us lose focus. The love of God
will remind us of our nothingness and make us humbler. It will inspire us to
make reference to Him in all our endeavours. With it we shall be just and put
an end to injustice. Our love for God will make us give God His place and His
due, give others their due too.
The love or God gives birth to
the love of neighbours. In this love, the northerner should nor see the
easterner or southerner protesting against evil as an enemy. In this love
people from a particular part of the country should not be favoured more than
others. People from a particular part should not lord it over others. In love, citizens
should not be given a bad name to eliminate them. In love, peaceful protest
should never be seen as an empty noise.
In love, resources should be
adequately shared. In love the blood of every individual should matter. In love,
brutality and bullying should be unheard of.
In this love, all the sections of
the constitution that do not promote love, unity, progress and true peace
should be abolished. In this love, violation of rights of the people should be
properly addressed.
This love of God and his people
should give birth to subsidized good hospitals, drastic reduction of hardship
and poverty, Good roads, steady electricity, Good Schools, security of life and
properties, merited respect for all and
from all, not by bribery, corruption, abuse and intimidation.
Let's Enthrone Love
The opposite of love has taken
charge for a long time. Thus, to enthrone love, we must dethrone indifference,
hate, fear, violence, wickedness, cheap popularity, sycophancy and pride.
To enthrone love, we must call
ourselves as individuals and groups to order. That will entail accepting our
mistakes and correcting them. Have human heart and human feelings; weep for
injuries, heal the already inflicted wounds, dialogue and embrace each other.
Let's be reconciled.
Welcome love. With her, human
rights will be respected, the goods made for people will not be stored for
personal aggrandizement. With love, our own brothers and sisters in the
government will not be deceiving us. With love, dishonesty and infidelity will
flee; marriages will be enjoyed. With love, the little we have will go round.
With love, the past hurts will be kept behind for us to forge ahead. With love,
our representatives will be good ambassadors. With love, public offices will be
for service and sacrifice and not for exploitation. When love returns, life
will be valued.
Let us preach love and live love.
Let Christianity, our Traditional Religions and Islam preach love. Let each and
everyone of us practice love of God and our neighbours. With it, we shall
reject what is not ours and come together to form a strong force against evil.
Let us pray
O Lord, you have given us the
greatest commandment of love. We confess today that our lack of love has done
us great harm. We need your love to drive each and everyone of our actions.
Cleanse us from the Pharisaic act of being wolves in sheep clothing. May we
love you and our neighbours truly and not falsely. May your love bring about
peace, unity and progress through Christ our Lord. Amen
Happy Sunday(30th Sunday Ordinary
Time, Yr A)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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