A CHRISTIAN LOVES HIM/HERSELF AND OTHERS - Don Hanley's blog #52

While I was back in the 21^st century, I had other dreams besides the wonderful ones in Nazareth. In one, I was visiting my old (1964) parish in Kansas. In that dream, I was standing with a group of Catholic adults, and, for some reason, one portly middle-aged fellow asked me if I was a Catholic. I replied, “In my own way.” He promptly asked, “What the hell does that mean?”

“I believe I follow Jesus’s message to love others as I should love myself. So, you tell me what kind of Catholic you are. You come across to me as a mean-spirited kind of one.” He got a rather mean look and said, “Oh, I do, do I? Let me show you what it means.” He drew his right arm back and started to swing, and a fellow behind him grabbed his swinging arm, and another man grabbed his left arm. They both looked at him as he glared at me. One of them said, “We’re sorry about that, sir. George here is always looking for some trouble.” I woke up and shook my head, wondering what the dream was trying to teach me. The following night, I was glad to be back in Nazareth with my favorite kind of loving people and sitting in Mary’s flower garden.

“You look a bit worried, my old and young friend. Now, tell us about it. John is getting bored trying to get Paul here to understand what my Jesus was all about.”

“Well, Mary…” I glanced over at Paul before continuing, “… back in my century; a fellow got angry because I told him I was just the kind of Christian who worked on loving others as I hoped I loved myself. I then asked him whether that was true for him, too.” He answered me by saying he would show me how he answered smart alecks and started to hit me with his fist. Fortunately for me, two other fellows stopped him.

Mary asked if those who stopped him were violent in any way, and when I said no. Then, she said they were being more Christian than the guy. I agreed, and she turned to Paul and said, “Now, Paul, that is an example of what I was trying to say; Jesus taught that how we live and conduct ourselves is more important than just saying what we believe. Don’s angry man is not a Christian if that is the way he habitually treats others. Jesus insisted that those who follow him must be non-violent – even if it costs them their lives. Of course, that is what he lived and why he was crucified.” She shuddered as she said this.

She continued, “Now, Paul, it is very important that you tell others who want to follow Jesus that it means that they must love others, not just mouth words that they believe might please Jesus and Yahweh, who is sitting on a throne somewhere in the heavenly sky.” She turned back to me and added, “And Don, I have thought greatly about what you said the last time we were together. You said that millions of men soldiers killed millions more and called themselves ‘Christians’. Something has gone wrong, very wrong, over the years, even centuries, for them to even dare to say they are ‘Christians’.”

I agree with you, Mary, and fortunately there are many Christians who are very like Joshua and Ruth and know how to love and radiate that love to others. Unfortunately, they were often outnumbered by those devoted to rigidly just follow the laws and rules that they believed Jesus espoused.”

John added,  “That is so sad. Jesus wanted us, his followers. to help one another survive, and not only survive, but to discover and enjoy living together in peace and harmony..

I felt more than a little ashamed when I said, "When I was a priest, I often got in trouble with a few church authorities for espousing this kind of thinking.”

I smiled when Mary said, “Well, they were wrong, and they need to get off their thrones or whatever they are sitting on, go out into the desert, and think about it. Or maybe they need to find a good woman who can love and have a baby or two with her.” She smiled with satisfaction.

This time, I was smiling when I disappeared. Now . . .

Keep opening your mind and heart to studying the menus, and BE love.