30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ex 22: 20-26; 1 Thes 1: 5c-10; Mt 22:34-40
Dc. Larry Brockman
It’s the thing that separates our Judeo-Christian heritage from other faiths, this idea of loving our neighbor as ourselves, especially when our neighbor is broadly defined to include everyone. Not only that, Jesus tells us this is part of the greatest commandment, second only to loving God himself, so it is very important to love our neighbor.
Our first reading is particularly clear about who our neighbor is because the Israelites were called upon to respect the rights of visiting “aliens”, that is, everyone visiting who came from outside of Israel. That was a real challenge for the tribal culture of the Mideast. Everything was tied up with your own tribe- outsiders were not usually welcome. But Jesus was simply quoting the Law of Moses. Besides, Jesus makes it clear in the Beatitudes who our neighbor is because he speaks of the poor, the persecuted, and the marginalized there. Yes, we need to love everyone as we love ourselves. And that is a tall order.
But just what does that mean- especially for those of us who are getting older? Elsewhere in the Gospel Jesus tells us that means sharing our food with those who have none; and even giving away a spare tunic if we have a second one! We are to visit the sick and the imprisoned; and we are to settle arguments amongst us before we bring an offering to the altar. In other words, we are to be concerned with things other than our own comfort, We should not become self-absorbed.
One of the greatest things about America has been the generosity and loving attitude of its citizens over our nation’s history. In the days of the frontier, people would pitch in and help each other build houses, raise barns, and make it through tough times. Families took care of their own, including their elderly. Organizations like St. Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army, and Good Will supply the poor with much. And America came to the aid of many nations for the sake of liberty during the first and second world wars. Our foreign aid has been critical to the recovery of Western Europe and Japan after the war. We were for many decades the source of missionary efforts throughout the world. Even today, people worldwide can count on the financial aid we give to others in our special collections. Yes, Americans have lived the definition of what it means to love our neighbors. All of us have shared in that time of American History. We have shared our tunics, our treasure, our food, visited and cared for the sick, and been there for the “alien” in need. All of this shows that we have been a people concerned not just with our own interests, but we have been concerned for others as well, even “aliens”. And we have been blessed for it.
But things are changing now. Years ago, families stuck together and most households had three generations of folks in them. Now, almost all of us value our independence more than family. And so, we live separate from our families, and don’t see them as often. Part of that is due to our ability to live anywhere, so that families are separated by great distances. All of this means that newer generations have been taking more and more time for themselves. Yes, a spirit of independence pervades our younger generations. So much so that it transcends independence and becomes self-absorption. We are a nation that is fast becoming self-absorbed.
Those of us who are older have much to share with the younger generations about the meaning of loving each other. Among the things we can share are: The value of life itself; that we’ve been there, done that (or, there is nothing new under the sun); the salvific value of the suffering in living a life with dignity; sacrificing your own agenda to care for someone else; the wisdom of the ages versus book knowledge; and many other things that come only through the school of life experiences. But it takes contact, lots of real contact, with our families to accomplish a mission of sharing all of that.
I know, in many cases it is easier to just let go. Many in our families just don’t want to be bothered with us anymore. But the facts are, they really need you more than you need them. Because, you see, they just don’t realize it. Because the real meaning of life is much more apparent to those of us who have lived a while, than it is to the young and restless. We know that there is more to life than what the world has to offer, and that we will never be satisfied until we find God.
Yes, love your neighbor as yourself. Begin with your family.