“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” – 1 Corinthians 1:2
We live in a “selfie” world. We live in a world where “me” is more important than “we” and pleasure is pursued at any cost. If you think about it, trying to be a Christian is pretty crazy. Among other things, you’re supposed to:
Love your enemies.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Seek to be last, instead of first.
Deny yourself.
Lay down your life for others.
I mean, seriously, none of the above maxims make any sense on a strictly human level. In the eyes of the world, they are all a waste of time. Indeed, the good news of God’s love seems almost silly and absurd. How could a perfect Being love sinners so much that He would die for us? It’s incomprehensible, but true!
His Love is a paradox that the world just fails to comprehend. That is because love is not a natural thing; it’s supernatural. It is not a rational thing; it’s super-rational. That’s why poets sing about it but scientists cannot explain it.
Take, for example, the Crucifix. It has always baffled the minds of seers and sages. As St. Paul says in this Sunday’s second reading, “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (1 Cor. 1:23) You’ll find this preeminent symbol of Christianity in every Catholic Church across the globe. For us it is a symbol of God’s self-emptying love, but to a non-believer it is simply an image of a man nailed to a tree. Stop for a second and think about how strange this symbol really is: the cross was a Roman execution device. What would you think if you walked into a church and saw a statue of an electric chair? Yet, that is essentially what it is!
You see, the Christian message is counter-cultural in a crazy and beautiful way. We espouse the radical notion that life is not about us. It’s about God. And despite the world’s attempts to convince people otherwise, that will always be the case. We were not made for power, pleasure, prestige, wealth, honor, or comfort. We were made to love, just as He has loved us. We were made to give ourselves to others for their good and for the glory of God.
So, let’s be counter-cultural. Let’s be rebels. As G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” During this season of Lent, let’s be truly alive. Let’s swim against the current and, by loving one another, become fishers of men.
Heavenly Father, your love for us is beyond understanding. Help us enter into the mystery of your love by caring for our neighbors, especially those who are most in need of our help. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
