Loving the Other as "Other"

“All of Paul’s ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit’ are marks of an outward-looking, expansive magna anima (great soul), which stands in contradistinction to the pusilla anima (the cramped soul) of the sinner.  Thus love is willing the good of the other as other; joy is self-diffusive; patience bears with the troublesome; kindness makes the other gentle; self-control restricts the havoc that the ego can cause; etc.” – Bishop Robert Barron, daily Gospel reflection for June 27, 2018

When I read this quote from Bishop Barron, I thought how applicable it is to the experience of families with varied religious backgrounds, a fitting subject as this week brings to a close Religious Freedom Week.  For instance, my father was raised Mormon, though he has not been a practicing member for decades.  My brother was raised Catholic and is now a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).  My mother and I are practicing Catholics.  This makes for some interesting conversation around the dinner table, especially at the holidays when we see other relatives from my dad’s side who are still practicing Mormons.

If we strive to love in the manner that Bishop Barron talks about in this quote, we need to love “the other as other.”  That is, we need to accept others with differing beliefs.  We need to recognize that belief, regardless of what it is, may be rooted in years of tradition.  Because of this, human beings can be very passionate about this aspect of our lives.  This is why the old rule of etiquette was “Never discuss religion or politics.”

Jesus showed us the value of showing love and respect toward those of differing faiths and/or cultural backgrounds.  He gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan, which models good and ethical behavior toward those of other cultural backgrounds.  He modeled polite discussion with people with varying religious beliefs (e.g., the Pharisees and Sadducees).  He ate with tax collectors and associated with prostitutes, and he treated them with respect.

Mary too, in her apparitions has shown us the values of diversity.  She has appeared to people all over the world in the form of a woman of the particular ethnic group of the region (e.g., as Our Lady of Guadalupe).  In Jesus and Mary, we have good examples to follow.

Next week, we will recognize Independence Day here in the United States.  The early European settlers of this country were Puritans seeking a place where they could practice their religion freely.  The founding fathers wrote freedom of religion into the Declaration of Independence.  Let us pray that our current government leaders will continue to champion the freedoms so many seek when they come to the United States.