God intends the best outcomes for us human beings. He knows exactly which ways of thinking and behaving have the potential of making our lives fruitful for ourselves and for those around us. Due to our limited understanding of what occurs within us and within our surroundings, we tend to resist his loving plans for us. We constantly fail to comprehend what the Lord tells us through Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa 55, 8-9).

In our persistent craving to be secure we finish up rejecting anything that requires effort yet in the long run promises that internal peace with ourselves which we desperately need. We put myriad of obstacles in order not to fulfil the basic agreement we made with God: that God’s unconditional love for us urges us to live responsibly. In our fear to change we counteract any attitudes or ways of actions that would undermine our false security in the evil ways we choose to abide by.

As Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav teaches: “The whole world is a narrow bridge; and the main point is not to fear.” Living responsibly can actually be likened to a person who has to cross a very narrow bridge so as to arrive to his/her desired destination. The secret for this traveller to keep going in the right direction is not to fear anything but avail herself/himself of the right means that would eventually secure his/her arrival. Translated into everyday living this would imply adopting new attitudes and behaviour that would assist us to enjoy God’s gratuitous love for us and at the same time help us to communicate to others God’s gratuitous care for them.

Actions like admitting faults, accepting praise, trusting other people, taking orders, exposing our feelings, accepting help, speaking up for ourselves, appearing dependent, telling others what to do, asking for our help, tolerating boredom, giving up our freedom, etc, would certainly facilitate our sharing of God’s total self-giving to us with those who absolutely need it.

If today God is inviting us to respond responsibly to his infinite love let us not harden our hearts; let us instead collaborate fully with him!

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

San Gwann