About yesterday’s quote – we don’t have to look far these days to find folks demolishing other people’s buildings.
Seems to be a human instinct, believing that tearing down someone else makes me somehow bigger or stronger.
It doesn’t.
In construction, there’s a place for demolition. Sometimes, a decrepit old building must be destroyed before a new one can be built. But no one pretends the demolition crew is actually creating something.
Demolition is what the name implies, whether it’s buildings or people. Demolition is destruction.
Destroying an old building – that’s one thing. But purposely destroying or harming another human being, someone created in the image of God – that’s something else altogether.
Of course, I’m thinking of the 22 kids at the Home of Hope and all trafficked individuals, but also of anyone who abuses and harms others physically, mentally, or emotionally. And like I said at the beginning, we don’t have to look too hard to find examples. Like maybe in our own social media, or in the mirror?
Pope Leo recently made a rather unconventional suggestion. He suggested that for this Lenten season we all fast from the words that offend and hurt our neighbor.
That’s a great beginning.
But Jesus didn’t say, “Stop harming your neighbor.”
He said, “Love your neighbor.”
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, he clarified that “neighbor” includes everyone, maybe especially the folks we might think ought to be excluded.
Love is where creation began. Maybe you and I can think about who we want to exclude, who we don’t really want to love.
Seems like that might be where the construction process could begin.