OPENING THE HEART

October 11, 2015

The pastor started this Sunday with his sermon series on the basics of Christianity. He used the scripture passage of Luke 10:25 to 37 as reference, that is, the timeless command to love GOD with all that we have, and the story of the good Samaritan being the prime example of what it is to love our neighbour, disregarding all prejudices, inconveniences and costs.

We humans really cannot survive without relationships.  We cannot go through each day talking to ourselves alone.  We always make contact with others.  Who we are and what we are is a product of our lifelong interaction with other people, whether they be family, friends or antagonists.  And how we relate to others is a reflection of how we relate to ourselves.  Consequently, how we treat ourselves is a reflection of our philosophies, that is, our relation to something or Someone who is greater than us.  For Christians, it is our relationship with GOD that determines the quality of our relationship with other people.

Once, I told my niece that true neighbours give to each other, whether it be food, time or attention, help in need, or even a simple prayer.  She, who belongs to the new generation of Christians who did not come to the faith with much persecution and hardship but grew up in the comfort of air-conditioned worship halls, church programs and picnics with lots of food and games, could not imagine that we have an obligation to do good to the people around our vicinity who do not share our faith, and who constantly smirk at us for being too goody-two-shoes.

Sometimes, because everybody is too busy making a living, we forget to be nice to others, believing that we have a monopoly to rudeness because our lives are difficult.  We fail to realize that no matter how hateful the things other people do to us, pushing us around or stomping on our pride or damaging our hard-earned reputation, they are humans like us, and we all go through the same trials every day.  Some of us may be rich but could not sleep for fear if anytime our wealth will be taken away from us, thereby leaving us with no hope and our children bereft of a good future.  Many of us are poor and struggling to survive each day, and maybe sleeping soundly for exhaustion, but spending each waking moment worrying how to earn enough to put food on the table, clothes on our backs, send the children to school, and pay our debts.

We mustn’t forget though that we are not alone in these.  “He who promised is faithful”, and “He will be with us wherever we go”.  If He could create the possible (life here on earth) out of the impossible (void blankness of dark matter in the universe), He could very well be on to our troubles, however big or small they may be.  We only need to ask Him.  And we only need to pay attention to what He says how we should conduct ourselves while here in this blue-from-afar-but-green-when-viewed-nearer planet.  We only need to open our hearts to His leading, and our hearts to the people around us as opportunities to being more human, to being more of a good neighbour.