I have a fascination with the life and work of Mother Teresa. The more I read about her the more I realize that she understood what it means to be a Christian. Without seeking attention, people from all around the world traveled to meet her, to see and experience the work she was doing in Calcutta. That amazes me. Can you imagine someone from across the globe calling you on the phone or showing up at your door because they had heard of the work you were doing and were so intrigued by it they felt compelled to see it firsthand? Incredible.
And more so, I think all followers of Christ are called to this type of living. The type that makes people wonder what your life is all about and feel compelled to experience it themselves. Mother Teresa lived authentically for Christ and obediently followed what He called her to do: work with the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta, and cover them with His love.
Not all of us will be called to the slums of Calcutta--God has a unique piece of the picture for each of us to fill--but there is a very important similarity. We are all called to cover those we come across and the work that we do with the love of Christ. We are called to embody his love by receiving it into our lives and then channeling it to all we come across. This can be fulfilling in so many ways, and it will also be one of the most magnificent challenges in other ways.
In his book, Something Beautiful for God, Malcolm Muggeridge records some thought-provoking words from Mother Teresa as she gives insight into the heart of her work:
From pages 112-113:
"Faith is a gift from God. Without it there would be no life. And our work, to be fruitful and to be all for God, and beautiful, has to be built on faith. Faith in Christ who has said, 'I was hungry, I was naked, I was sick, and I was homeless and you did that to me.' On these words of his all our work is based."
"Because we cannot see Christ we cannot express our love to him; but our neighbours we can always see, and we can do to them what if we saw him we would like to do to Christ."
"Our works are only an expression of our love for Christ. Our hearts need to be full of love for him and since we have to express that love in action, naturally then the poorest of the poor are the means of expressing our love for God."
From page 118:
"Malcolm: Would you agree that one of the troubles is that...man always thinks there must be some collective solution. He would say, there is Mother Teresa, she saves so many people, she helps so many people, she saves so many children. But this is just a fleabite; this is nothing; there must be some other way of doing it. And his feeling about this makes him less inclined to throw himself in the way that you want into the sort of work that you're doing.
"Mother Teresa: I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us what matters is an individual. To get to love the person we must come in close contact with him. If we wait till we get the numbers, then we will be lost in the numbers. And we will never be able to show that love and respect for the person. I believe in person to person; every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is only one person in the world for me at that moment."
What would it look like if we treated everyone the way we would treat Jesus if we saw him face to face? How would that change our underlying attitudes and reactions towards those that are challenging to love? What does it look like to learn to love the people that have hurt you, have wronged you, have annoyed you and so on?
How can you see Jesus in this type of person's eyes? I think it is one of the most difficult challenges, but one that is not only life transforming--it could be world changing. This type of love--one that does not keep a record of wrongs and is unconditional--is only possible through loads and loads of continuous prayer. It is only possible after God's love has been received into our lives.
So many of us know the children's song, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." But in order for God's love to be life changing I think it needs to go deeper. We must know it in our heads and believe it because it is in scripture: this is an important step. However, in order for deep change to occur we must know it inside and out--we must experience God's love, feel the power of it. If you are wondering if you've ever actually experienced His love, then you have not because it is a moment that is and will always be impressed on your heart and mind. It is unforgettable and unmistakable.
I had my moment not so long ago when I was praying. My prayer was to feel His love, to know that I didn't have to earn it and that He truly did love me no matter what mistakes I make. I waited and waited, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, it rushed over me. I felt it. I knew it more than I have ever known anything before--He loves me. And I could not hold back a long, body-heaving and gut-cleansing series of sobs. And I suddenly understood: I will do anything for this love. I never want to be without it. Ever. This has to be my motivation in everything I do--it is the only thing that will sustain and deeply fulfill. It is worth living and dying for. It is all-consuming.
Prayer is what keeps this love close by and front and center. It isn't something that can be learned once and then checked off--it needs to be consistently reaffirmed, remembered and actively pursued, but it is worth it. It is a process to learn how to receive God's love and give it to others, and one that I aspire to learn better and better.
Mother Teresa's words have been a wonderful reminder and visual for me to keep my thoughts and actions in check: everyone I come across is made in the image of God. They are his masterpiece, and therefore a piece of him. How can I interact in such a way that I am showing my love to the Creator by bestowing loving words, actions and attitudes towards those he also loves so deeply?
Mama T tells us the answer is to give love and respect to each person we interact with: one at a time.
Imagine the change we could make if we did.
