Love your neighbour as you love yourself...

Alright, this is again taken from a homily during mass this weekend. (The idea of the story, not the real story) The homily was presented by Fr. Joachim of HRC Klang. Together with the short story is an analysis(my own) of what he had to say and how we can actually apply it in our own lives. Have fun reading...

A nurse saw an elderly man who was in the clinic for his check-up early in the morning. He seemed like he was in a rush, fidgeting over his seat, constantly checking his watch for the time. She sat down beside him, and said, "Excuse me, sir, are you alright?"

The man replied, "How long more do I have to wait? I must rush off to somewhere."

The nurse, wondering what could be so important to this elderly man, who looked like he has retired from the workforce long time ago, answered, "Just a little while longer. What is the rush?"

"Well, I have to go to the nursing home. It is almost time that I have my breakfast with my wife. You see, she has been in the nursing home for the past 4 years. She has Alzheimer's disease, and my children decided that it will be best if she had constant care in a home. I was against it naturally, but my health is also taking a toll on me and I have no other choice."

The nurse, stunned, replied, "I see. Will she mind if you're late a little while? I mean she does not know who you are anymore, and your routine health check is much more important than the breakfast. If you're late for a while, it would be OK right?"

The man looked at her, and a weak smile came across his face. "She does not know me, but I know her. How can I abandon her? It might be a simple breakfast to you, but it means a lot to me, to be with my wife."


Moral of the story #1: God is like that. You might not know him, but he knows you. And he cares for you, when you're up, and when you're down. Most of us only seek him when we're bedevilled with problems and sadness and uncertainties. "Where are you, Lord, have you forsaken me?" was Jesus' reply on the cross. He's always there. But when we're filled with joy, seldom it comes to our mind to thank Him. Nonetheless, like the elderly man, He still cares about you and He's always there for you.

Moral of the story #2 : Parallel to the story, this week's gospel touches on the two most important commandments. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Is it logically if we say, we love God with all our heart/mind/soul, but we hate our neighbour/friend/family for what they've done to us?(maybe stole your girlfriend, broke your flower pot, talked bad about you etc.)
How can we love something that we cannot see, but hate something that we can? Hypocrisy, right? The first step to love God is to love your neighbour, and yourself. Like the elderly man who did not abandon his wife, we should not abandon our friends...and yet proclaim(loudly) that we love God. You would question this love, wouldn't you?