There’s a famous story about a foolish man who heard that Buddha
taught that you should never return evil for evil. One day the man met
Buddha and decided to see if Buddha actually practiced what he preached.
The man began heaping all kinds of verbal abuse upon the great teacher,
shouting at him and calling him a stupid fool. All the while, Buddha listened
patiently. When the man ran out of things to say, Buddha said to him, ―My
son, if a man declines to accept a gift from another, to whom does the gift
go?‖ The man replied scornfully, ―Any fool knows that. The gift goes back
to the giver!‖ ―My son,‖ said Buddha, ―you have just given me much verbal
abuse. I decline to accept your gift.‖ The man made no reply. Then Buddha
said further: ―My son, a man who slanders a virtuous person is like a man who
spits at the sky. The spittle doesn’t soil the sky. It only comes back to soil the
face of the man who spit. A man who slanders a virtuous person is like a man
who flings dust into the wind. The dust doesn’t reach its target. It only blows
back into the face of the man who threw it.‖
That famous story of Buddha is another illustration of what is meant by
the ―law of the echo.‖ A person gets back from life exactly what the person
gives to life. Give abuse and you will get abuse back. Give love and you will
get love back. A week from this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. In our
Lenten journey, we have a real opportunity to turn inward and really see how
we are measuring up. How do we stack up to the standards of discipleship
Luke sets in his Gospel this weekend?
God’s call is a call to generosity. Jesus gave us everything, including his
very life! What have we given? How have we matched God’s generosity?
This Lent, we might ask ourselves these questions: How have I been generous
with my spouse? Have I gone beyond that which is expected in my
relationship and truly practiced charity? How have I given to my Church?
Have I even approached practicing justice in giving 10 or even 5 percent of
my time, my talents and my treasure? How have I been charitable with my
children or parents? Have I, without comment or complaint, given to them
more than they deserve? Have I, by prayer or deed, really tried to love
someone whom I find difficult? Have I ever prayed for those who are caught
in anger and hatred?
So, how do we take God’s command to love into our lives? Perhaps, by
understanding our own motives and the thoughts and feelings that we don’t
particularly like in ourselves. Then we may judge less harshly. Could we
then be less passive and more active in our help of those in distress - those in
our family, our parish, our neighborhood? Above all, perhaps, we can pray
for the heart of Christ to be in us so that we live his love with all those we
meet. And, who knows, we may even find them, and ourselves, less
disagreeable and more lovable!