Thanks to Rodrick for this morning's talk on "Jesus says we have to love each other". Very effective.
So much so that I decided that, henceforth, I should make it my aim to love my fellow Beaker Folk as I'm supposed to. But, knowing that we are not allowed to face anything we can't stand, I thought I'd take some preventative measures and make a list of the people I will be designating as exemptions, so I don't fail in this calling. Currently the list (with reasons) stands at:
Burton Dasset (nerd)
Marston Moretaine (fool)
Charlii (money-grabbing gold-digging potential rival)
Hnaef (posh)
Milton Ernest (implausible name, even for a Beaker person)
Mansfield Wodehouse (too northern)
Mrs Wodehouse (always ill)
Aelfine (too delicate)
Rodrick (too challenging)
Raughrie (always moaning)
Bernie (always cooking roadkill)
Going further afield, I also need to add from the Bogwulf Baptists:
Drayton Parslow (fundie)
Marjory Parslow (too much like me)
Kayleigh (too much like Kylie)
Kylie (too much like Keeley)
Keeley (too much like Kayleigh)
So I'm currently managing to love every body else like I'm supposed to, which is a great achievement. I am, however, aware that the above list consists of all the people I've met or thought about since I heard Rodrick's challenge. So it may have to get longer.
The issue with like and love is that they are not interchangeable. You can love someone in the brotherly, sisterly, Christian sense, but heartily dislike them or their ways, which seems to me to be just like the old saw 'love the sinner, not the sin'.
ReplyDeleteI try ever so hard to love everyone in a neighbourly, self sacrificial way, and generally succeed. Just the odd one or 10 don't fit into that category. For these I reserve tolerance and seek to find reasons for loving them, I must admit it can be a very hard place to be.
I console myself that as they love me ( I think), that has to be enough for both of us.