The Christian Response: Our Love as our Defense

There have been countless articles and op-eds penned addressing the benefits  and shortcomings of mankind’s advances in communication technology—particularly social media. Today more than ever, it is quicker and easier to address any topic one finds themselves pondering, and it’s even easier and quicker to offer a response to any topic one finds themselves taking a position on. In the face of such an incredible capability, it is worth contemplating how to best harness such great power in the spirit of Christian love.

Anyone who has spent any small amount of time in the “comments section” of popular videos and online posts knows all too well the kinds of things we say when we misuse this ability to respond to other’s content and opinions. All kinds of cruelty and verbal abuse run rampant, discrimination is common, and violence is often threatened. In the face of disagreement—be it in-person or online—, it’s safe to say that these kinds of responses are not that which the Lord would approve of.

Pondering, then, what the Lord would have us do—how He would have us respond to opposition and disagreement—let’s examine a time in which the Apostles too found themselves wanting to respond to opposition with anger.  In last Sunday’s Gospel passage, we read, “On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.”. How often do we desire to “call down fire” on our neighbors—be it for valid or invalid reasons? Surely the rejection and discrimination that the Apostles endured when they entered the Samaritan town is a valid reason to be upset, even angry. And yet, the Lord nonetheless “rebukes them” and carries on.

 Why is it that revenge is so satisfying to us? Why is it that we cannot seem to break with the “eye for an eye” mentality? How are Christians called to respond?

Perhaps the first point to establish is that by virtue of our calling and mission, Christians are called to respond to opposition in a fundamentally different way than the world. Christians respond to opposition like Christ. Various Gospel passages testify to St. Paul’s profession in his letter to the Romans: ‘where sin abounds, there grace abounds all the more’. From this teaching we also discover a central aspect of the goodness of God: God draws good from evil. This is precisely how we as Christians are called to respond to opposition.

There is often a temptation to respond to opposition, and especially those theological and doctrinal oppositions that are frequent in the Church, with strong doctrinal defenses. Good in itself, of course. But not enough. The Church and Her members are entrusted with the defense of the truth, but we cannot stop there. Like the father of the prodigal son, the Church is called to “run to [them], embrace [them], and kiss [them]”, even “While [they are] still a long way off”. In other words, as Christians, our love is our defense.

And so, friends, let’s take up the mission entrusted to us to “love our neighbor as ourselves”, allowing ourselves and others to present our/their unfinished selves to God and to each other, allowing ourselves and others to grow and learn to live as “one in heart and mind on the way to God”.  

Count on my prayers. God bless.