One of the distinguishing marks of the market economy of most of the developed world is the pride they take in the quality of products made in their countries. For example, Germans take pride with the expression “Made in Germany” and esteem it as a mark of quality which most other countries respect as such irrespective of whether the product was simply assembled in Germany with parts of it produced in other countries.
There is thus the general presumption that once the product is from a certain country, the quality of the product will certainly be high. An adage in my mother tongue gives credence to this analogy between the country exporting a particular product and the quality of the product. It goes thus: “ife agwo muru aghaghi ito ogologo.” Literally, this means that the offspring of a snake cannot but be a long creature.”
Again, a rule in formal logic suggests that the conclusion of an argument must be drawn from or supported by its premise to avoid the fallacy of irrelevant conclusion. In Catholic circle, the notion of communicatio idiomatum (communication of properties) is a well-known Catholic formula which is a Christological concept used to support the interaction of divinity and humanity in the person of Jesus Christ.
All of these analogies explain the importance of the relationality between the source or origin of a thing with its quality. The readings of today, (1John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-52) depict the aspect of love as the nature of God and the consequences it bears for human beings, and Christians, especially, as those begotten by God. I draw some reflections from this reading.
Begotten by God’s Love
The first reading from 1 John expresses the kern of Christian love as follows: God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.
If God is love, Christians are borne of love. One of the theological expressions for the understanding of God’s relationship with creation is that of the participation of his creation in his nature. Creation is depicted as the result of God’s self-expression or self-expansion. God’s nature is love and love expands itself in communion. Hence, creation is a testimony of God’s love. The first reading affirms that through love, we testify to our communion with God and show that we know him, even though God remains invisible to us. Though invisible, our practice of love discloses God and is a proof that we know him.
Another insight from the reading is that the self-expansion of God’s nature as love is exemplified in its fullness by the free gift of his son Jesus Christ, who is the first fruit of those begotten by God. Through his testimony of God’s love, we have a share and a foretaste of God’s love. God’s love is manifested in Christ’s love and compassion for his fellow human beings and through his communion with the Father of all creation. In the same vein, the reading asserts that the love we practice in the imitation of Christ must be of the same sort: merciful, kind, authentic, and compassionate. Moreover, the testimony of the spirit of God in us encourages us in our efforts in the testimony of love through the confession of faith.
Witnessing to God’s Love
It can then be inferred that if Christians are borne of God, they will also be like God in their self-expansion in communion and in compassion. Christians are brands made of God’s love and have the intrinsic quality of love. However, the fact remains that our love is always limited – sometimes by fear (as with the disciples in the Gospel) and other times by lack of understanding of the depth of God’s love for us. In the Gospel, Jesus offers us one concrete way of bearing testimony to love through compassion. He fed the hungry multitude and calmed the fears of the disciples in the boat. The ability to get involved for the good of the ‘other’ is a character of love. I pray that God may dissipate our fear and strengthen our hope. I pray also for the courage and grace to expand ourselves in our imitation of God’s love.
Beautiful reflection, Sister!