What would Jesus do faced with the coronavirus?
Indeed, the measure of our living will be love. When we end this earthly journey, we will be faced with our failures to love, but also with the times we lived love. “If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.” – [1 Corinthians 13:3]
It is not just about doing what is right, but to do what is right in love. There is no possibility of us to do what is wrong in love. Indeed, much of our society is complicit in that. Tolerating evil is not love. Never has been and never will be. Whether it be sodomy, abortion, euthanasia, or any other evil, we cannot be complicit in the evil by tolerating it. Indeed when we tolerate evil, we are giving our approval to the evil.
Love is not always easy. Look at Jesus’ Passion. He agonized in the Garden, knowing what was going to happen and consenting to the Father’s Will. He was scourged, crowned with thorns, and carried His Cross burdened by our sins to His place of execution. That is living love. And if we are going to be deterred by loving because of the way people look at us, we have a lot to learn about love.
It is hard and John the Baptist lost his head despising evil and living love. May we be willing to live love regardless of the consequences. Only then can we gain everything.
Jesus, Your life was an act of God’s love for us. May Your Passion and Death strengthen us to live love in all things. Amen.