By Sam Aitchison
The Church is Alive
Now that it’s summer and classes are done, I’ve enjoyed reading for fun in the evenings or at the pool these past few weeks. There’s something peaceful about getting lost in a good book, where time seems to stand still for a while.
Right now, I’m reading “The Radical King,” a collection of Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermons and letters. I expected it to be an enjoyable read, something to help me wind down before bed. It’s actually done the opposite. I’ve been awakened to what I believe is one of the hardest things for us humans to do: love.
King defined agape love as “the love of God operating in the human heart” (King, 58). When I first read that, I nodded to myself in agreement. True, Christ-like love is about loving as Christ does. When I reread that quote, its weight sank in. If I’m truly going to love, I need to love as God does — from my heart. I can count many moments, including today, when I’ve fallen short of loving as Christ loves, such as getting angry with someone who didn’t deserve to be treated that way.
As I kept reading, King’s sermons and letters challenged me even more. He writes, “When Jesus said ‘love your enemy,’ he was not unmindful of its stringent qualities. He meant every word of it. Our responsibility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this command and seek passionately to live it out in our daily lives” (p. 56). So, Jesus knew how hard this would be for us and he still commanded it? That is daunting.
Reflecting on King’s writing has made me realize the difficulty of agapeic (selfless, altruistic) love. I’ve also been struck by how authentically King lived this love. He led a movement for racial justice rooted in love for neighbor and a desire for reconciliation with his oppressors. I can’t imagine how resentful, angry and frustrated I would feel in his position. Yet his love for Christ and all people — both those who loved him and those who wanted to kill him — is an example for us all.
To will the good of the others, in my opinion, is nearly impossible. It sounds good on paper but when I look at my life, I see plenty of room for improvement. Reflecting on my day via the Ignatian Examen is a practice I plan to use more in my life. I hope that this prayerful self-reflection will help me to love like Christ a bit more each day.
I’m grateful for the rich intellectual and theological tradition of the Church over the past 2,000 years, offering wisdom to help us follow Christ more fully. So many Christians — saints, popes, mystics and everyday people — have left us insights on how to love selflessly and altruistically, following the example Christ set.
During these summer nights, with the sound of cicadas filling the air, I find myself reflecting on the ways God’s love makes all things truly right. I hope and pray for the day that I will meet him face to face and see love that is true, perfect and just.
(Sam Aitchison is a senior at Saint Louis University in St. Louis. Contact him at samaitchison6@gmail.com.)
