When fathers post pictures of their children, the resemblance to their parents is quite uncanny. If we are very familiar or really know very well our friends, once we meet their parents, we can easily recognize if they look more like their dad or their mom. But, this physical recognition only comes easily because we have spent quality time with our good friends.

This is the dilemma of Our Lord. Again, he has to prove himself to his critics. The unconditional love expressed by God the Father can also be seen in Jesus. It’s just sad that those who don’t appreciate this remain far from Our Savior. They’d rather stay behind the comforting shield of their questioning rather than really see for themselves how deeply they are loved by Our Creator. Once they recognize this, they also will be in awe by Jesus Christ himself.

But, we all know that this wasn’t meant to be. It’s sometimes easier to formulate a critical opinion than to undergo a life-changing experience. It’s a bit easier to criticize what we don’t know than to actually invest the time and effort to really understand and comprehend, to see for ourselves, what we don’t know. We’re already comfortable with our state in life. To be challenged to love more would “rock the boat” as they say.

Let us pray for more open-mindedness to how God’s love really affects us and our surroundings. May our hearts be more ready to see Jesus even in unthinkable locales like the slums or some abhorrent milieu. When we really get to know Christ, we will be able to recognize him even in the most unlikely of circumstances.