Jesus is the victim in an entirely new way because he receives our hatred and does not return it, nor does he play the victim for his own empowerment. (Fr. Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation," July 9, 2016)
There. That is what I aspire to...well, not quite that high. Not that high because I cannot imagine receiving hatred without feeling ticked or hurt right back. Hurt, and unjustly hurt (is there a justly hurt?), most especially. Doing it without being able to imagine it?...unlikely to happen.
To know another's hatred, or contempt, and not experience any change in my feelings about the other ("you're one, too!") or about myself ("poor, pitiful, put-upon me") is unfathomable to me. Yet, that's what to "not return it" means to me.
Although, given some thought, I can't say it is entirely unfathomable...I know that I have made minor strides forward. A minor stride toward that goal is spiritual growth walking, according to me.
I have a for-instance: A friend ticked me off/hurt my feelings recently, and I was blessed with understanding from whence his action came...that's all it took for me to know that I wanted to be the first to reach out. So I forwarded him an e-mail of an impressive fact...impersonal but interesting. That broke the discomfort, and, in no time, we're laughing and chatting as if nothing happened. Because nothing happened.
That oh-so-teeny incident tells it all...how many (uncountable!) lifetimes I'll need to ever reach Jesus's "entirely new way," yet how far I have come from my yesteryears of dropping dear friends without a by-your-leave for what amounted most times to imaginary hurts.
It is true...when used, spiritual principles will solve all of our problems.
Thank you.
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