Christ’s limited physical presence ascended into heaven, so that His unlimited spiritual presence can be with us anywhere and everywhere, till the end of time, in a universal, interfaith way. He then missions us to go with Him, and make Him physically present through us, in our lives, relationships, and work. This is the one and only meaning of human life: to love God, as Christ loved the Father, with all our mind, heart, and spirit and, as Christ did, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. This is love-in-action, and not just in words or teachings.
We keep repeating this eternal message from generation to generation, but it is so difficult to put it into practice daily. At times we succeed, and at more times, we fail. Such is the story of human life. And the punchline of it all is that Christ never gives up on us! And so, why should we give up on ourselves? No, not in our lifetime.
To preach and live this one and only message of love throughout our days here on earth, no matter how many times we may fail. This touches all three levels of our love-relationships: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and metapersonal. Let us reflect on each one more deeply.
Intrapersonal. How do I relate to myself and the God within me? Do I really care for myself, so that I keep on working for my ultimate good as a person – mind, body, and spirit? Or do I feel like giving up when I fail in one or the other? On what do I base my self-worth or self-esteem as a person? Do I keep comparing myself to others, so that I end up feeling inferior compared to some, and superior compared to others? Both ways are unhealthy. Each one of us is created unique. To give and love in our own, unique best is what will give us self-esteem. And most of all: to sustain an inner awareness of God’s loving presence in living and doing all the above is what will give us inner peace. Christ’s divine presence is our constant companion. This is God’s way.
Interpersonal. How do I relate to others and the God in each one of them? By others, we do not mean just the members of our family, relatives and friends, and our immediate community or religious institution but all our fellow human beings from different cultures, religions, and nations. The secret formula here is in the meaning of the word intimacy. This can come about if I set aside a regular, daily period of personal silence and solitude. There is no substitute for this.
In my period of silence and solitude, I gradually become aware of my intimacy with God and with all human persons He created. Moreover, I am able to experience this intimacy with the rest of God’s creation – the skies, the sun, the moon, the stars, the waters, the earth, trees and plants, fishes and animals, all of nature. So that when I leave this silence and solitude, I carry this inner awareness and intimacy wherever I go, whatever I do, with whoever I am relating to. Wonder of wonders. I learn to love the most unlovable, even my enemies. Is all this really doable? Yes, it is. God gives each one of us the personal power to find Him in everything He has created. We just have to discipline ourselves in going into our regular periods of silence and solitude. Once a day, even just for 20 minutes or so. This is also the best way of listening to what the Lord may be trying to tell us at any given point in time, especially in our periods of agony and pain. These periods of inner intimacy with the Divine Presence lead us to inner peace and gratitude.
Metapersonal. How do I relate to social institutions and the God through them? Here, let me focus on just one very inspiring and interfaith movement: the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, based in Zamboanga City. Their vision: “In the name of God, the Fountain and Source of Dialogue, Silsilah envisions a life-in-dialogue for all Muslims, Christians, and peoples of other living faiths in respect, trust and love for one another, and moving together towards an experience of harmony, solidarity and peace.” They recently celebrated their 25th anniversary, and still going strong. They are involved in both action and formation programs.
Their development services include training on sustainable and indigenous agriculture, community organizing, environmental advocacy, and marketing support for farmers’ produce. Their formation program, like the one this summer, includes a four-week, basic course on “A Dialogical Approach to Islam and Christianity in the Context of the Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace”; a one-week intensive course on the same; and a one-week special course on “Distilling the Best of Religions and Cultures for the Common Good in Mindanao.”
There are numerous other social institutions and ministries in our country which are dedicated to the common good, starting from our parishes all the way to national movements. God’s presence is in each one of them. Am I actively involved in any such group? If not, what is holding me back? Let me discern soon where the Lord may be calling me at this point in my life. I am called to be with Christ in all levels of my relationships: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and metapersonal. So help me, God.