Christmas Is For Those Who Love Their Unloving Neighbors – And Those Who Do Not!

 

Lately, I adopted the slogan “Be kind. Always.” by Brad Meltzer, American novelist, from a Facebook sharing, and I have been very happy with it. Now comes Facebook today, Friday, 15 Dec 2023, with the above sharing by Brickhouse In The City – “Our job is to love others…” Now, let me compare. 
(top image from a Facebook sharing by Brickhouse In The City, 15 Dec 2023)

“Be Kind. Always” and “Our job is to love others whether or not they are worthy” – I think they are equivalents. Kindness is another way of expressing your Christian love, and it is simpler – a little kindness is big enough! At any rate, both are Catholic, and I am one of them, a member of the Bukás Loób sa Diyós Catholic Charismatic Community of the San Pablo District in the last 43 years.

But no, I believe not because it’s Catholic in origin but love in origin!

Underneath the Vatican image above, it says, “Jesus helps sinners by welcoming, not banishing them, papal preacher says” (Carol Glatz, 15 Dec 2023, Catholic News Service, ncronline.org). The preacher is Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa speaking to Pope Francis, top Vatican officials and Vatican employees in the Paul VI Audience Hall Friday, 15 Dec 2023. If you ask me, he might as well have been preaching to non-Catholics.

At 83 (Sept 17), thank God, I am happier than when I was at 73, or 63, or 53 – it’s not your religion, it’s your attitude towards people (and life) in general. “Our job is to love others whether or not they are worthy” – that should make life simpler, much simpler. And happier – you do not carry dislike or even hate in your heart – boy, they’re heavy!

That is to say, it is not Catholic vs Protestant (or any other denomination); it is not Asian vs non-Asian either – it is the whole human race, and if you hate part of it, you hate all of it.

Truth to tell, my life is already “simpler” because I am a writer (blogger) and have been so in the last 23 years, and my essays do not consider religion at all. The name of the blog where you are reading this – “Communication for Development of Vibrant Villages (ComDev2) – implies that the English language and community development are my primal concerns, not religion at all, I mean, consciously. I can now relate with Linus’ attitude: “I love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand!”

My current self-imposed campaign is for the adoption of the principles & practices of Regenerative Agriculture (RA), the term & concept of which originated in the US of A by Robert Rodale.

Mr Rodale “championed regenerative before the USDA organic standards and certification even existed” (14 Jan 2019, “The Original Principles Of Regenerative Agriculture,” Rodale Institute, rodaleinstitute.org). The article does not mention the exact date when the concept came to the mind of Mr Rodale, but I am exceeding glad because:

Regenerative Agriculture loves others without stopping to consider whether or not they are worthy!@517