The scope of Christian love

To be sure, the scope of Christian love is universal and inclusive. It covers all men, irrespective of who and how they are. It is at least offered to all, irrespective of whether it is reciprocated or not.

That is why Christ offered his life on the cross. This is the supreme act of love since “no one has greater love than he who offers his life for his friends.” (Jn 15,13) Christ “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2,4)

It’s also why Christ explicitly commanded us to love even our enemies. He himself fraternized with the sinners. For example, he chose Matthew, a tax-collector, another name for big sinner at that time, as one of the apostles. He dined with Zacchaeus, another rich man regarded also as sinner at that time.

Christian love by definition involves all and is given without measure or calculation. This essence of love is what breaks us loose from our limited human condition to make our world universal, not entangled in some parochial, partisan or isolationist grip.

Love matures and perfects us. It checks on our tendency to be self-seeking and self-absorbed so as to be “all things to all men.” (1 Cor 9,22) It brings us not only to others, but rather to God himself, identifying us with him, for “God is love” and is the source of love.

This love is what properly measures out our true dignity and value as persons and children of God. It’s not just some wisdom or knowledge or talents and any human power. It is so rich and ineffable that it seems to blend together what we usually consider as contrasting qualities like being patient and impatient, tolerant and intolerant, merciful and just, strict and lenient, etc.

This Christian love always upholds the truth but delivered in charity. “Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo,” as they say. It strictly follows the doctrine of our faith, but it keeps us from becoming a doctrinaire, or one who indiscriminately puts into effect an abstract doctrine or theory with little regard for the practical difficulties.

It is highly adaptable, flexible and versatile. It knows how to blend the old and the new, the traditional and the innovative. It enables us to be inventive and creative in our dealings with everyone, just like God is with all of us. In this department, his capacity is of course infinite. And if we strive to be close to him, to follow him and conform ourselves to him, we have good reason to achieve the same qualities, at least to some degree.

It helps us to fraternize with everyone, including our enemies. It is truly inclusive without compromising the truth, a very tricky ideal that we need to aim at with God’s grace and our all-out effort.

In fact, it urges us to give some special, even preferential treatment to those who are clearly in error insofar as faith and morals are concerned. The lost sheep and the last coin are the objects of its special attention.

We need to train ourselves in this department because we obviously have to contend with tremendous difficulties that we have to learn to surmount. We will always have our biases and preferences and other natural and human conditionings that, if not handled well, can undermine the workings of Christian love.

The exclusivity involved in our pursuit for the truth and justice should not compromise the inclusivity and gratuity of charity and mercy. Christian love is able to handle this predicament by overcoming the fear of suffering, and even of death, if need be.

A good exclusivity knows how to be patient and kind in its expressions. It is willing to suffer for the truth. A bad one is rather impatient and tends to impose its idea of truth on others. It prefers for truth to suffer for them.

A good exclusivity will know how to understand those who differ from its position and will do everything to clarify itself. A bad one can hardly stand opposition and is more interested in scoring points. It likes to be triumphalistic.

A good exclusivity knows that views are not simply intellectual affairs, but involve at the end of the day the whole person. It is more interested in the person than in the ideas. It’s more interested in charity than in correctness and winning an argument. A bad one is often stuck with ideas alone and the person is considered secondary and dispensable.