Love: The Definition of Christianity

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Since we are still in the season of Easter, those of us who didn’t know that Jesus saw the Cross as much a part of his glory as his resurrection may wonder the rationale behind the selection of today’s Gospel (John 13:31-33a, 34-35). Jesus, knowing full well that his death was near and Judas’ sinister role in it, declares at the Last Supper: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, and God is glorified in him…”  It’s very clear that he has a different and more profound knowledge of his death. He understands that death will not embarrass him or impede and obstruct God’s plan and purpose for him and humanity. He sees his impending death as part of his glorification. Paradoxically speaking, he is going to conquer death with his death. So, before that happened, he speaks inspiringly to his disciples in order to prepare their minds for it and also to shield them from despair and loss of faith. Today’s Gospel begins with the phrase: “When Judas had left them….” He left them to kickstart series of events that will lead to the glorification of Jesus. 

Jesus also knows that in a little while, he will not be with his disciples, but they will still be with each other, so he reminds them of the old commandment: “Love one another,” and then gives them a new one: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” The command to love, especially to love as one loves himself is very old. It predates Jesus’ earthly ministry. Leviticus 19:18 is very clear about it. But Jesus does not see such a love as being sufficient enough. With his new commandment to love one another as he loves us, he raises the bar of love. Love for each other is no longer contingent  on how much we love ourselves but how much Jesus loves us. It’s the kind of love that never stops. It’s sacrificial! It means love in season and out of season. Love in sickness and in health. Love in poverty and in riches. Love in weakness and in strength. Love in betrayal and in faithfulness. Love the innocent. Love the guilty as well. Love always and everyone! Love until it hurts, and even at that, never stop loving. Big challenge, isn’t it? 

Christianity is love mixed with power. Love is the Christian identity. It is the Christian uniform. It is the Christian habit. We are to be recognized as Jesus’ disciples not only in the way we dress, talk, walk, and carry ourselves, but essentially in the manner, depth and breadth of love we have for each other. Love is the adhesive substance (glue) that keeps and binds us together. It also keeps us moving in the right direction as children of God. It is the summary of Christianity. I dare say that love is faith and hope in action. Love is the reason for faith and hope. We can never go wrong for loving and for being lovely. Jesus wants the world to recognize us as his followers not because we carry the Bible about, wear the Rosary and other religious objects or simply by the stickers we have in our houses and in our cars’ bumpers. He wants the world to recognize us by the way we love each other. Love should be the lens through which we see each other. Love makes us Jesus’ look-alike. It makes us resemble him. It makes us little messiahs.  Others will only recognize us as disciples of the Lord only when we love each other. There’s no escaping this fact that a disciple of Jesus must love and be a professional lover of others.  Although Jesus wants us to “go to the whole world and preach the good news,” but the most effective evangelization and witnessing has less to do with how fluent we speak and how powerful we preach; it is more to do with how much we love each other. Jesus gave us an example of this kind of love. He gave everything for his disciples, even his life. Our love for each other must be without limits. 

Love has been defined, explained and discussed in various ways, but for me love is “I accept you the way you are; you accept me the way I am. And together we can enrich each other, shape each other and recreate each other better in the image and likeness of God.” By accepting each other the way we are, we teach the world the virtue of tolerance and compassion. By enriching, shaping and recreating each other, we teach the world the virtue of charity, character formation and human development. A gospel preached is useless without a gospel lived in love. No member of a church stops coming to church because the people love each other genuinely. No one hates a church because the members practice the love of Christ. The world will probably not hate us because we love each other. No one leaves the church because the priest is kind and compassionate. No one becomes an atheist because we, Jesus’ followers love him or her. Some atheists are rather made because we do not act as Jesus directs us. Some atheists are created because Christians do not practice what they preach; they do not practice the virtue of love. True love is infectious! When it is there, others will feel it.

Scripture says that God created us in his image. And this image is love because God is love. At the very core of the human person is love. Our feelings and emotions incline us to act and not to act in relation to what is good or evil. The most fundamental of all these feelings and emotions is love. Love brings new things in our life and society. It makes God live among us. Remember the song: “Where love and charity abide, there God is found.” Love enthrones the reign of God in our family and society. It wipes away tears from people’s eyes- tears of frustration, hunger, sickness, and hopelessness. Love makes the whole of creation come alive. It removes mourning or sadness. Even in suffering, love from sisters and brothers can lighten a burden.