From Sunday Christians to Christians of Everday Life

We go to God not by walking but by Loving

“Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy,” (Ex 20:8) is but one of the Ten Commandments of God. Observing one of the Ten Commandments does not necessarily make us Christians. I think observance of Sundays as ‘Holy-day’; day dedicated to the Lord, is a result of being Christians and not the opposite. We are Christians not because we observe Sundays but we observe Sundays because we are Christians. We need to ask ourselves; Am I leading a life which shows that God is available or to be sought-for only on Sundays? Are we Christians only on Sundays and not Christians on the other days of the week? Many of us are familiar with the song, “There are many people who will say they’re Christians and they live like Christians on the Sabbath day. But come Monday morning till the coming Sunday they’ll fight their neighbours…” I wish we do not belong to this group of Christians but I fear, many of us Christians do belong to this group. We really need to live our Christian teachings and values every moment of our life. Our Christian life is compared by Jesus to two essentials of life: Salt and Light. We are expected to give a taste of Christian life to those around us. If we really live our Christian life well, no one will pass us without being drawn to our Lord Jesus. And that is the greatest sermon you and I are asked to preach. We live our Christian life not to attract others but if we sincerely live it, naturally people will be attracted. Our Good Lord summed up the Ten Commandments in just two commandments (we can even say one): Love of God and Love of Neighbours. The latter is what I want to speak about when we think of living as everyday Christians. Love of God and Love of Neighbours are inter-related, one is incomplete without the other. Mother Teresa used to say, “It is impossible to love God without loving our Neighbours.” How many of us know our Neighbours? Some of us are not even aware of the people living in our buildings; the person living next door. Our Lord gave us a new commandment before he went to Calvary: to love one another as He had loved us. (John 13:34) Loving our Neighbours is a way of living our Christian life perfectly well. The beloved Apostle of Jesus wrote, “Those who say ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers and sisters are liars.” (1John 4:20) We say that we are Christians but if we fail to live according to the teachings of Jesus, we will be like salt which has no saltiness and light which is hidden. The teaching of our Lord is crystal clear: to Love God and to Love our Neighbours. Anyone who is in need of our help is our neighbour. Our love will be the sign by which others will know that we are followers of Christ. Better late than never; let us begin to Love – Love God and Love Neighbour. Remember, we will be judged by how much we loved: I was hungry and you gave me food; thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me; in prison and you visited me. Come, you that are blessed by my Father. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. (Matthew 25:31-46) By doing so, we will be Christians every day. Let us enlarge our neighbourhood: treating all of humanity as our brothers and sisters and go to the place prepared for us from the foundations of the world. Chichanbemo Patton SDB Salesian College of Higher Education