CAN WE RELATE WITH GOD WITHOUT RELATING WITH OUR NEIGHBOUR?

Today’s liturgy reminds us of the great theological virtue, which is love. All the laws and prophets have love as their foundation, which is explicit in the readings. This virtue of love is better expressed from two dimensions: our relationship with God and with man (human). What defines our relationship with God is how we relate with our neighbour. Is our relationship with neighbour surrounded with hatred, bitterness, anger, violence and other forms of vices or is it with love, peace and unity?

In building human relationship, the first reading presents to us the love for stranger; love for the weak and vulnerable; and love for the poor. God warns us through His servant Moses saying, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him… you shall not afflict any widow or orphan… if they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry…” (Ex 22:21-22). The reading emphasizes the imperative to love and show compassion to others, especially to the marginalized. The lesson here is clear, through Moses God calls us to treat others justly and with love. He expresses his dislike for oppression and injustice against the poor, the weak and the defenseless, and to lend to those in need without interest. Anyone who harms these ones is staging a battle against God.

It is quite unfortunate that many of us that are being oppressed today are not oppressed by foreigners but by our fellow citizens. Some of us are not oppressed by the Europeans or Americans but are oppressed by our fellow Africans, of the same black race. Some of us are not oppressed by other tribes but are oppressed by those of the same tribe with us. This is also true with some of us who are oppressed by those of the same religion and family members. Some are oppressed by their fellow priests and religious, likewise some laities are oppressed by fellow lay faithful. It is a degrading situation we have found ourselves. We have become strangers in our own land. Worst of all is how our political leaders have oppressed us as in the case of one beating up a child and expecting the child not to cry.

The reading warns everyone involved in all forms of injustice or oppression of strangers, either by act of tribalism, nepotism or by religious ideology to desist from it. These vices bring division and tears the people apart. It has practically led some to appeal court and now supreme court just to seek for justice. If Nigerians in some foreign lands are treated with respect, love, justice and equity, much more is expected of us on how we treat ourselves in our motherland. It is so sad to suffer oppression in your homeland. When we cry out for justice, our government and those in authority seems to oppress us the more and making every move to silence the voice of the oppressed. They have taken our garments, which is our only covering and is not enough for them, now they are taking our lives through bad governance. It’s a matter of time, justice shall prevail as we continue in our cries to God for help.

We hear in the Gospel, how Christ silenced the Pharisees and Sadducees who are fond of oppressing the poor with the law of Moses, “They are experts of religious law that load people with burdens hard to bear, and would not touch the burden with their fingers” (Lk 11:46). Now they came to Jesus and one of them asked a question to test him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” (Mt 22:36). In response, Christ used the image of the cross to communicate the greatest commandment of the law, which is love. In what sense? He gave us the vertical dimension of the cross (above to below or vice-versa), which is the lovely relationship that exist between man and God. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind” (v.37). Put differently, to love God with our whole being.

Again, he gave horizontal dimension of the cross, the lovely relationship that exist between man and man. He said, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (v.39). Practically, this appear to be the most challenging of these commandments. It is easier for us to claim we love God. We can be so religious and prayerful as regards our relationship with God, but our relationship with family members and friends is nothing to write home about. What about our relationship with other tribes, ethnic groups and other religions? 1Jn 4:20 tells us: “Anyone who claims to love God and hates his neighbour is a liar; for whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Invariably, to have the image of the cross, we need the vertical and the horizontal dimension of the law. This is to say, the love of God is fully expressed in the love of neighbour, it is better expressed in the lives of the oppressed, widows, orphans and the defenseless.

However, while Moses summed the 613 commandments to 10, Christ summed the 10 commandments to 2, that is, Love of God and love of neighbour, fully expressed in the sacrifice on cross. Invariably, love demands sacrifice. On these two dimensions of love, depends the law and the prophets. These dimensions of love are explicit in the second reading, St. Paul reminding the Thessalonians of how the love of God liberated them through the power of the good news and how their love for each other made them turned to God by accepting the good news that was preached to them.

Dear friends in Christ, in view of our loving relationship with God, it is necessary we begin with our neighbour. Love is not mere sentiment; it requires full commitment to God and concrete actions towards neighbour, especially the poor and marginalized. Our love of neighbour is a reciprocal to God’s love for us, which is sacrificial. Hence, the love of God and neighbour advocates living a life of continual sacrifice like the burning candle, giving ourselves for the good of others.

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ