- "We don't confess it", he said, "but
there indeed exists a gap between understanding God as a God who
loves men, and the experience of that love. This difference is not
easy to be covered, indeed, despite of the fact that we try for centuries to
close the gap by increasing the production of theological teaching".
- "Yes", I insisted, "but the question
is how and when Christian ethics will stop being a talk on guilt and become
an exercise in love. How and when they will stop being rules of "do not
do this or that", when they will cease defending regulations?"
He stretched his hand and covered my palm. He was
sending forth an unbelievable tenderness.
- "Have you ever
thought that Anna or Caiafa were
two eminently moral and honorable men? They were, my darling child.
They were depositaries, unbending guardians of the law. But they did not
have a single drop of love. And God doesn't want this kind of men, God
wants the tenderness for the Crucified that the robber next to Him was able
to have, although he was himself crucified and suffering. Remember the rich youth
who went to Christ and said to Him that 'I keep all the laws, what else
should I do to become perfect'? And He answers: 'give all your property to
the poor'. Why did He say this? Because the young man was a moral exemplar,
but he didn't have any love for his neighbor, he didn't care, he wasn't
offering himself to the hungry beside him - but he only gave as much and
when the law permitted! How do I know what kind that young man was? I
know it because he says to Him "I have kept the law, what else should I
do?"! Like there were not near him any poor to feed or any unhappy to
caress, anyone worthy enough to cry with him! Ah, what a great thing would be for this young man not to go ever to Jesus, not to go
not having the time to leave an old man whom cared for, an orphan whose
sorrow softened! But he did have time - do you understand? - he had
the time to go and ask what else he should do, then, to become
perfect!"
