In Luke 6:32, Jesus says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?” Jesus goes on to issue this challenge to his followers: “But love your enemies, do good to them” (Luke 6:35). It is not enough for us to love the people that are easy for us to love; we are called to love those who are hard to love.
Connecting with the people we serve every day with exchanges of hello, thank you, goodbye, and blessing each other with love and respect is what makes my time in the Downtown Eastside the most fulfilling journey I have ever had as a religious nun. No training, no retreats can ever prepare us for what might transpire in daily life or how to respond to unexpected situations. I do not even always know if my responses are in line with my being a religious sister, but God is with us always.
One day I was with a very distressed man, so I asked what had happened, and he answered, “Everybody wants me to become God.” I told him that I did not agree with that. Aside from the fact that we already have One God, you know exactly what happened to Him: our Lord Jesus carried all our sins through a very heavy cross and was crucified. With all confidence, he responded, “Exactly – that’s what I thought.” As with many other situations I find myself in, it seemed funny but really was not, because wherever he was mentally and spiritually, this was his reality.
In challenging situations, I try to be as kind and as calm as I can be, but there also are situations where that will not work and I need to be firm. No matter how uncomfortable it makes me, it does not mean I love anyone less. I give all our clients all that I have to offer; my love for each of them is real. Wherever I will be in the next chapter of life, I will carry each one of them in my heart, and I am sure I will stay connected with them through my daily Eucharist and in my prayers.
