Love of God and Neighbor Have Become One

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Although many Americans identify themselves as Christians, we often cherry pick the Christian teaching we want to believe and then select the Bible passages that support what we already believed. Many of us read the Bible not to be challenged, changed or deconstructed, rather to reinforce our assumptions and presuppositions. But that is not the Christo-centric way. One of the issues that many Christians in this nation often turn a blind eye to is the issue of immigration and the treatment of immigrants. On one occasion, I was confronted by an enraged couple after I preached against the family separation policy of our government. On another occasion, I watched as two priests— Redemptorists, engaged in a war of words over the treatment and name calling of immigrants from South America. I was shellshocked to hear one of the priests defend the indefensible. What does the word of God say about this issue? Today’s first reading (Ex. 22:20-26) says, “You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt…If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.” The first reading is about how we treat the other— aliens, widows, orphans, the poor, the neighbor etc. And the treatment of the other must be rooted in love— love for God and love for neighbor. 

Love is the Christian identity and uniform. The love of neighbor is the love of God come alive. Love for neighbor validates and authenticates love for God. John says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ but hates his brother (or sister), he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn. 4:20). Anyone who truly loves God must love his brother and sister as well (1 Jn. 4:21). The love of neighbor is not limited to family; it is not limited to our own kind, our own race and ethnicity. Just as God loves all people, just as Jesus died for all people, we are to love all people and to consider them our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in God. 

We are living in unprecedented time. As we witness the rise of blind nationalism, racist nationalist movement, and dangerous protectionist agenda everywhere and in everything, Christians should remember our common origin and the Lord’s clarion call to love our neighbor. As Pope Francis aptly states in his most recent encyclical titled “Fratelli Tutti,” on Fraternity and Social Friendship, “We need to develop the awareness that nowadays we are either all saved together or no one is saved.” Rather than embrace the culture of isolation and the building of walls, the Holy Father calls for the culture of encounter, encounter rooted in our Christian identity of love. Building walls in order to keep the most vulnerable other out will most certainly reduce the qualitative presence of God in our midst. According to Pope Benedict XVI, “The love of God and the love of neighbor have become one; in the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself and in Jesus we find God.” But how should we treat the stranger? The book of Leviticus 19:33-34 says, “When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a person. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt.” Love warmly! Live lovingly and lovely! Be happy!