How to treat others

 Photo: Canva.com

When I look through the window at the hills and see that they are covered in cloud and mist, I know that it will soon be raining here. When the sun is shining I can see the hills clearly. Jesus said the same thing to the crowds in today's gospel from Luke 12:54-59. You can interpret the signs of the weather, so why can't you understand what is going on around you? After our relationship with God, the most important thing in our life is our relationship with all the people around us. They can make us feel happy, sad, angry, affirmed or guilty and depressed. But we too can make other people feel like that, so Paul continues his great advice to us in his letter to the Ephesians when he tells us how we are to act if we are to lead a life worthy of our vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete humility, gentleness and patience, he says.

 

Perhaps the key word here is humility which means knowing who we really are. We so often tend to judge other people because when we see their faults we think that we are superior to them. When we compare ourselves to others, it may be true that we do some things better than them, but we are called to follow Jesus and we can't even begin to compare ourselves with him without realizing how distant we are from his way of living. Paul goes on to call us to be patience, first of all with ourselves as knowing our own weakness we ask Jesus to come with his love into our hearts. Then we will be patient and gentle with our sisters and brothers who are struggling just as we are. ''Preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together.'' (Ephesians4:3).