LOVE CONQUERS ALL

A Native-American Christian went to a missionary for counsel.  He was very much troubled by the spiritual conflict going on within his heart.  He wanted to do what God wanted him to do, but he was frequently disobeying God.  He found that he was prone to do evil things, even as he did before he became a Christian.

The native described this conflict within himself as a dogfight.  He said to the missionary, "It is as though I have a black dog and a white dog inside me fighting each other constantly."  The black dog, he explained, represented wickedness and the white dog represented virtue.

The missionary asked him, "Which dog wins the fight within you?"

After several moments of silence, the native said, "The dog that wins is the one I feed and the dog that loses is the one I starve."

A person can either feed or starve their sinful nature or the spiritual nature.  As I reflected on the scriptures last night I was overwhelmed with the question, how can I convince a person, who is battling their black dog, who desires freedom but can’t seem to break their sinful human nature?  Then on my way to church this morning God spoke to my heart again.  He said someone who will be in the pews this morning needs to hear this message clearly, “I invite you to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I know you are a good person, I know you desire to feel free and loved, I know the battle raging within you.  Let my priest, who sits as a visible sign of me, hear your heart so that I can free you and shower you with my mercy and love.”

I stand before you understanding, all too well, this internal dogfight.  The battle between the constant bombardment of bodily and worldly desires and our desire for spiritual freedom.  How our sinfulness generates feelings of shame, the fear of being judged unworthy, or the feeling that somehow, we are “less than” because of our inability to sustain a spirit-filled lifestyle that God demands.

Know this, Jesus’ desire for us is that all things, all situations, and all people be reconciled to himself, brought fully into his love.  His heart’s desire is that we also be reconciled to all.  “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother and then come and offer your gift.”

He knows this is much easier said than done. Jesus puts forth that we must first resolve any anger, resentment, or hurt that separates us from another and from our desire to be in His love.  We need to allow love to overpower all else, including ourselves.  Until all is resolved, we are unable and incapable of fully entering into the love, joy, and delight that is Christ.  We need to let love conquer all.