Dear Christ the King Family,
“It is better to be feared than to be loved.” You might recognize that oft-quoted line from Niccolo Machiavelli’s famous political treatise The Prince as a justification for rulers to enforce their will through any means necessary on their subjects to get the end they want, regardless of morality. What’s interesting is that like many popular phrases, it’s partially true to the original source material, but it’s lacking an important qualification. So to throw Niccolo a bone here, he writes that the greatest ideal is for a ruler to be both loved and feared but, if both are not possible, then it is better to be feared than to be loved. Still a pretty cynical take, but I think there’s something far more interesting to ponder here in light of our Lord’s words from the Gospel we hear today. Jesus tells the Twelve Apostles before he sends them out on their first mission: “Fear no one…Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Sorry to say, Niccolo, but if we’re taking Our Lord’s words to heart, then your strategy will never hold out, because despite the temptations to fear we can often face before earthly power, it truly is nothing in comparison to the divine, heavenly power of God and it is He alone we should be concerned about when it comes to who we choose to serve.
However, what does that mean for God and our relationship with Him? All too often, like Niccolo, we can be tempted to think that our relationship with God can only be one or the other when it comes to fear and love. Sometimes we relate to God only out of fear and forget His abounding love revealed to us in Jesus Christ, and other times we might be too presumptive and forget that God is God and we are His creation, which ends up cutting us off from realizing the depths of His mercy for us. But God is never one or the other, and that should help temper our hearts and strengthen our witness as disciples. The same God who created our very bodies and souls and who alone has ultimate authority and power over them, is also the same God who tenderly and intimately knows us—who has counted every hair on our heads and who takes notice when even a small, unremarkable sparrow falls to the ground. Unlike earthly fears and anxieties that bind us up and close off our hearts, a Holy Fear of the Lord actually opens our hearts even more to His Providential design and strengthens our resolve as disciples. And unlike exclusive earthly loves that cut off and divide, God’s Love expands our horizons and magnifies our awe and wonder at being in Communion with this mystery of Love that surpasses all understanding.
The Gospel lesson reminds me of a powerful line from a well-known hymn, Where Charity and
Love Prevail (Ubi Caritas), and may this be our continual prayer of discipleship:
“With grateful joy and holy fear, God’s Charity we learn.
Let us with heart, and mind, and soul, now love God in return.”
In Christ, Our King,
Fr. David
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