Love them anyway

LAST week, I started reading a book entitled “Jesus Did it Anyway” by Kent M. Keith. He is the same author who wrote the famous “The Paradoxical Commandments” as part of a student leaders booklet when he was a college student in 1968.

The book, on the other hand, was written in response to the question Dr. Keith has been asked time and time again since he wrote the paradoxical commandments. How does his Paradoxical Commandments relate to the Christian faith? I recommend reading the book and growing in our pursuit to become more like Christ every single day of our lives.

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The Paradoxical Commandments
By Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

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My Dearest Readers,

May I share with you my reflection on the first paradoxical commandment, “People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.”

The Bible is said to be a “love letter” from God. It is replete with commands and even admonitions to love one another. To love as God has loved us. To love without counting the cost. To love our enemies. To do good to those who persecute us.

Jesus in John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

For some of us, it is easy enough to say “I love you.” With almost everyone having a cellphone, “I luv u” is very easy to text. But to actually “show” one’s love is another matter. This is very true even in our own homes where “love” is supposed to be the main ingredient to a happy home. But, aren’t we often guilty of taking our family members for granted? Aren’t we guilty of being impatient, so easily angered and fault-finding with our own parent or sibling or spouse or children? And yet, we can be so patient and sweet to a friend or even a customer?

Yes indeed, our family members can be illogical, unreasonable and self-centered, we are to love each one anyway. Jesus calls us to love unconditionally and show this love concretely.

We can reason all we want, claim that our family loves and accepts us as we are, warts and all, without any pretense and hypocrisy. But, is familiarity and authenticity (“Magpakatotoo ka!”) an excuse to be rude and tactless? Is this healthy? Is this the kind of love that God asks of us to show to one another? Shouldn’t our family members be the first recipients of all our patience and kindness? After all, “Charity begins at home,” so they say. And charity to me is nothing else but unconditional love.

It is my prayer that we all do our utmost best to appreciate the people God has placed in our paths to love. Let us start with our own families. Let us be mindful of how we talk and relate to our family members. Be a little gentler. Show a little more love today. Kiss your spouse. Praise your child. Hug your parents. Treat your sibling to McDonald’s. :)

We are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Thank God, He loves us anyway!

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. - John 15:13