There is a song we sing at Mass on occassion which has a verse: "And they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love." Then there are the countless instances in the Bible where Christ continuously tells us to love our enemies. We are to pray for and love our enemies.

It is a tall order, one that I cannot claim to have achieved very much at all. But I kept hearing this message for most of Tuesday and Wednesday on the radio and in the songs that were sung. I got to thinking, maybe I'm supposed to be doing that in my life right now.

Where to start? Better yet, how to start? What about the family? I know I don't love all my family members. They are family, you say, and therefore you must love them, how could you not? Easily enough when family states one thing (Christianity) and practices quite anouther (pornography, the occultic, lacking self-respect, etc). So, I have my where, but how?

But realizing that our parents and siblings love us enough to have not thrown us out into the streets, or for not having aborted us. Or for feeding and clothing us. We are blest with life. Isn't that reason enough? Not always, we want to be shown that we are loved beyond the basic needs. Birthday presents (check), extra little things like lip balms and jewerly galore (check), loving acts (maybe not); ah, there's the troubling spot!

So how to move beyond that? Prayer, I suppose. I have no experience in this. I'm just starting. But starting to love is better than being bitter and angry. If we are made in the image of God, and made to love, then we really aren't constructed to carry the nasty burden and aftertaste of anger, grudges, hate, and fear.

Show them first through prayer, and then love what it means to be Christian. Sow the seed, let God do the growing. Right?