Would you recognize Christ if you see him today?

If Jesus Christ comes to your door today would you recognize him? The image of Christ portrayed in films, art or in Sunday school may be very different from the real Christ. It is not easy to recognize Christ in the beggars, the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the strangers; or in your enemies or in those who hate and want to kill you. We know rationally that we are created in the image and likeness of God, but that concept is not easy to grasp internally and spiritually especially when we look at what is happening in the world today. We know that if we love God, we should also love our brothers and sisters, indeed everyone. “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” 1 John 4:20-21. Is this what we notice around us and around the world? Far from it! Think of the Middle East, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Russia, ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), terrorists and extremists. Yet every Sunday Churches, mosques and synagogues are filled with worshippers who claim to love God (Allah or Yahweh) but cannot see eye to eye with their brothers and sisters.

There is a story told of a bishop who had a very disobedient priest in his diocese. He convened a disciplinary committee to decide the disciplinary action to take on the priest. The committee decided that the priest should be suspended for a year. His faculty was to be withdrawn, he was not to celebrate public Mass, and he was not allowed to take part in any diocesan activities. After giving his verdict, the bishop told the priest that if Christ were to be around, that was exactly what He would have done. At that moment, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared and said to the bishop ‘my judgment is that of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love’. “Thus the Lord pass before him and cried out, “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity” Ex. 34.6. On hearing this, the bishop rebuked Christ and ordered him to return to where he came from. He reminded Christ that he was killed because of his mercy and compassion.

It is obvious that we love a virtuous life, we admire it but we are not particularly in a hurry to live it out. Hence we like to pray like St. Augustine, ‘Lord make me holy but not just yet’ or sing the song, I surrender, I surrender some, I surrender, I surrender some, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender some. Why not surrender all?

So think about it: what does being a Christian really mean? It means walking in the footsteps of Christ, living life on Christ’s terms rather than mine. It means being my brother’s keeper. St Paul stated it thus, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” Gal. 2:20.  So if our search is to bring us to the person of Christ, then know that he is not only found in the Church. Our search may bring us to where we started: the threshold of the slumps, the residence of the homeless, the gates of jails and prisons, the hospital wards, the ghettos of drugs, the immigration offices of Homeland security, the streets with beggars, yes, among the poor, the hopeless and the helpless. How comfortable are you with this Christ now that you have found him? Can you recognize him?