By Fr. Roy Cimagala *
YES, we have to be most careful with our tendency to fall
into bitter zeal. It’s that zeal that was rebuked by Christ in that
gospel episode where his disciples suggested that fire rains on those
who did not welcome them while they entered a Samaritan village. (cfr.
Lk 9,51-56)
While it’s true that we should try to be always zealous in
our life, we have to make sure that our zeal is righteous, holy and
charitable, not bitter, with a clear and proper sense of purpose, not
just aimless.
Righteous zeal is always respectful of legal, juridical and
most importantly of moral standards, especially that of charity and
mercy. Bitter zeal wants instant results while ignoring legal and
moral requirements, let alone the requirements of charity and mercy.
It may pursue a valid cause, working for truth and justice, but
without taking care of the appropriate means.
Bitter zeal makes a person hasty and reckless in his
assessment of things. It fails to consider all angles, to listen to
both sides, so to speak. He is prone to imprudence. In the end, it’s
animated by the evil spirit of self-righteousness.
Inflammatory, incendiary words are its main weapons. Being
belligerent is its style. It relishes in rousing controversies and
sowing intrigues. It’s actually not as interested in looking for the
objective truth and justice as carrying out his own personal agenda.
Especially when we engage ourselves in matters of opinion,
we have to learn to practice restraint and moderation since no one has
the exclusive ownership of what is right and fair. Opinions are views
that are hardly based on absolute truths of faith and dogmas. They are
more expressions of one’s preferences and tastes, and therefore we
should expect a wide spectrum of differences, since things depend on
people’s different temperaments, backgrounds, cultures, etc.
Yes, we can have some exchanges and try to sort out these
different and even conflicting opinions if only to clarify things and
perhaps to eke out a most fair view with respect to a particular
issue. We can attempt to have a kind of consensus.
But all these should be done in an atmosphere of mutual
respect and utmost charity and delicacy. We have to avoid bitter zeal,
sarcasm, irony, insults, ad hominems, mockery, vulgarity, nitpicking,
fault-finding, one-upmanship, the crab mentality and the like.
If we are truly animated by Christian charity, there would
be zero bitterness in our exchanges of views, opinions, and even of
beliefs. True love, as St. Paul describes it, “takes no pleasure in
evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor 13,6-7)
We just have to learn to be patient in handling whatever
contradicting reactions we get from all the goodness that we may be
doing. We just have to look for an alternative way in resolving issues
and situations like this.
This was the case of Christ when his apostles suggested that
fire rain down on a Samaritan village that did not welcome them since
they were heading to Jerusalem. (cfr Lk 9,51-56) As the gospel puts
it, Christ rebuked the apostles and they journeyed instead to another
village.
We have to make sure that we are always burning with the
zeal of love. We need to fill our mind and heart with love, and all
that love brings—goodness, patience, understanding and compassion.
* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
