Daily Reflections

Reflection:

“When Jesus says He is the gate, it reminds me that He’s offering a way that’s courageous and brave, even if it’s not always the easiest or the most popular. 

In my retreat ministry, I constantly see students who want to make the right choice but are hindered by those around them. When you do not love yourself, you look to others to receive that love. Students are willing to do whatever it takes to feel a conditional love that comes with a list of requirements. This is what I think Jesus talks about: entering the sheepfold the wrong way, and in doing so, you become a thief , in which the only person we are robbing is ourselves.

To love is to risk, and to unconditionally love is to risk it all. Christ did and does this for us and calls us to do the same. 

I am constantly challenged by the young people around me who do choose to take a risk. 

One specific time, we ran a ritual where students were challenged to wash the hands of someone as an act of forgiveness. I sat there and waited for the students. A minute had gone by and I thought no-one would get up. All of sudden a big fella from the footy team stood up and with tears in his eyes, walked over to another fella on the other side of the room. They both burst into tears and hugged each other and they washed each others hands. 

After talking with some teachers nearby, the fellas had been at each other’s throats for the last 5 years and found it miraculous that this had happened. After the fellas returned to their seats, the whole year level began to do the same thing with each other and the process lasted close to an hour.

When someone is brave in showing their unconditional love, it inspires others to do the same. This doesn’t mean there is no risk, in-fact, it is the opposite. When we risk our creditability or show our true selves, people know we are putting it all on the line in the name of something bigger than ourselves. This is what I believe we are constantly called to do in the hope that we can create a better world as Jesus showed us.”

Thomas Warren.