Fr. I. Raymond Joseph
Yogi Berra, American Baseball Player, used to say to his young ones while giving them practice in playing baseball, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.” It is not that easy to put into action what we really believe and preach. In most of the occasions the thread that should connect our beliefs and practices will be found disconnected. Such kind of disconnect is traceable not only in political domain, social relationships, economical transactions etc. but also in religious practices. There will be vast difference between the religious beliefs that we have built up around us and the activities that are carried down by us. In this article let us discuss the dichotomy that is found very much in our day-to-day life situations as Christians.
The Basic Purpose of Any Religion
The essential purpose of any religion can be symbolically compared to an act of cooking. Before one begins to cook curry, he sorts out vegetables, seasons them, adds in them the needed ingredients, boils them etc. The end result is the tasty curry. In a similar way the very purpose of every religion is to shape, season and form every human being. Just like the vegetables the human beings are all of various sorts. The different good and virtuous values and qualities that are inculcated in the human beings by a religion are similar to that of adding ingredients to the vegetables. Just like a tasty curry every human being who is shaped and seasoned by a religion will embody in himself the qualities like truth, love, mercy, peace, justice etc. He will be a balanced and sensible human being who will be able to treat all equal and consider the entire humanity as his kith and kin.
Love is the Central Religious Belief of Religions
No religion speaks of hating people. Every religion promotes love of God, love of nature and love of humanity. Judaism, one of the ancient religions of the world promotes selfless love as the best form of love by saying, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Hinduism also promotes love that is not egoistic and selfish. While speaking of love, Hinduism asserts the following forms of love as the best forms of love: maitri (generous compassion), bhakti (impersonal devotion) and Atma-Prema (unconditional self-love). Christianity also does not mince its words when it speaks of love. One of the basic teachings of Christianity is “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mathew 5:44). Jesus, while hanging on the cross, as the final moment of his life on earth was about to complete, just before commending his spirit into the hands of his father said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Muslims also believe that love is part of God’s love, and it is one’s duty to love one another truly, as indeed God loves us. Hence without divine love there can be no human love.
Jesus’ Mandra of Non-violence
Jesus is the epitome of nonviolence. He is the best example of the one who exactly does what he preaches. Jesus opposed the domination system of his day through active nonviolent resistance illustrated by several teachings recorded in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, which is the rule book of the Christians. The “Sermon on the Mount” is the core ethic of nonviolence and its insistence on the blessing of the powerless. In the fifth antithesis Jesus points out, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Mathew 5:38–39). In the sixth antithesis Jesus utters: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mathew 5:43–44). As a golden rule Jesus pronounces the following: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Mathew 7:12).
Jesus, the Model of Ecclesial Creativity
As the authoritarian Roman regime of Augustus Ceaser was at its helm in the first century AD Jesus initiated the community of non-violence in the land of Palestine. Instead of hate and revenge Jesus promoted peace and love. When the Roman emperor ruled the people with the law of domination and oppression Jesus invited the people for the kingdom of God based on the law of love, peace, joy, justice and righteousness. He formed his community of disciples to practice his way of nonviolence and sent them out as “sheep into the midst of wolves” (Mathew 10:16). Jesus’ nonviolence was practically seen as he engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience in the Temple, as he opposed the traditions and customs of the Jewish religion which have been strongly enforced by some of the hypocritical Pharisees, as he arrested, tortured, condemned, made to hang on the cross, and yet remains perfectly nonviolent into his last breath. Even in his suffering and death on the cross, Jesus practiced non-violence. He did not utter a word of revenge, anger or retaliation. But the principles for which he died became the cornerstone of the ecclesial community which sprouted after his death and resurrection. The believers of Jesus lived together, shared all their belongings, distributed the proceeds of the sale of their property to others and shared their food with great joy. They were one in heart and mind. No one claimed private ownership of any possession. There was no needy person among them (cf. Acts 2:42–46; 4:32–34).
Life Contradictions
It is hard to believe as we are aware of the reality that the countries which follow the religions that uphold the principles of love and compassion are the ones to promote war against other nations instead of sowing the seeds of peace and love. Such countries have the industries which could produce lethal arms and weaponries in large scale and make business by selling the destructive weapons to the warring groups. These countries would claim themselves as peace makers of the globe while arrogantly sitting on the corpses of the people whom they have led to die in the name of genocide. It is not the culture of peace that these countries could promote. But they would rather basically promote the culture of revenge, culture of retaliation and the culture of vengeance. The United Nations Organization (UNO) which has vowed that all swords will be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning crooks and no nation will raise its sword against another and the training for the war will not be anymore (cf. Isaiah 2:3–4; Micah 4:3) become a puppet in the hands of such countries instead of playing the role of the ambassador of peace and justice. Even in our daily Christian life we are interested to reciprocate our love only to those who have shown us love. Selfless love remains only as a slogan in our life.
Possibility of Forming Community of Love instead of Hate
Is there a possibility of our beliefs becoming practices? It was possible for Gandhi to shape his beliefs into his practices. The New Testament spoke deeply to Gandhi and especially, the principle of non-violence in the Sermon on the Mount set him afire. Gandhi was deeply moved by the message of forgiveness and redemptive love which Jesus urged his followers to obey in the sermon of the mount. He could be a witness to that until his death. The golden words expressed by Jesus, “Jesus says do not resist evil, ……… he says forgive all men; forgive not once, not seven times but without end; love your enemies.” (in the book “My Religion” of Leo Tolstoy) probably induced Leo Tolstoy to write his book “War and Peace”. Martin Authur King Jr. spoke the following words “There is power in love that our world has not discovered yet, Jesus discovered it centuries ago, Gandhi discovered it few years ago, but most men and most women never discovered it, for they believe in hitting for hitting” Pope John Paul II addressing young people in Lesotho on September 19, 1988 said “to choose the means of nonviolence is to make a courageous choice in love, a choice which embarks active defence of human right and a strong commitment to justice and harmonious development” Vallalar said, “Appa naan Venduthal Ketarul Purithal Vendum, Aaruyirkatkellam Naan Anbu Seithal Vendum” (Thiruvarutpaa). It is the deep-rooted desire of Vallalar to love the entire creation.
Conclusion
The call to “Love one’s neighbour” contains not mere words for Jesus. It was his cherished experience. Coming in line with Jesus, Mohan das Karam Chandra Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Leo Tolstoy also could have the true love of the humanity as their unforgettable experience. If we also could transform any of our beliefs as experience, will be certainly able to make our beliefs as practices.
(Rev. Dr. I. Raymond Joseph, a Roman Catholic priest, belongs to the diocese of Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu. He has served in the diocese by engaging himself in various ministries such as parish priest, vicar forane and archivist . He has done his doctorate in Biblical Theology at Leopold-Franzens University, Innsbruck, Austria (Europe). He was seven years as professor of biblical Theology and Dean of Studies at St. Paul’s seminary, Trichy, Tamil Nadu. He spent eight years in CCBI Centre, Bangalore by serving as the executive secretary of CCBI Commission for Vocations, Seminaries, Clergy and Religious. At present he is professor of biblical theology and registrar at Sacred Heart Seminary, Poonamalle, Chennai. He has published in English language two theological books and in Tamil language he has published four theological books and edited three theological books.)
