In the Abrahamic Faiths, the Law was given to Moses, the Prophet of the Torah. The three religions teach us the importance of loving God and our neighbor, core principles in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The love of God
Many individuals of faith struggle to love God, as our love tends to be conditional; we desire Him to fulfill our expectations.
“ I have prayed, and I have not been heard. All is lost; all is finished. God does not listen to me. He does not love me.”
Then, we stray. It’s hard for us to believe in the divine omnipotence and surrender ourselves entirely, entrusting all our confidence to Him!
The love of our Neighbor
Regarding our neighbor, this refers to anyone other than me. The situation could be considered even more severe. Throughout the entire day, one can hear genuine stories concerning familial relationships.
The issues primarily involve grievances; spouses maintaining resentments against their spouses, and conversely, brothers harboring ill feelings towards their sisters, as well as children against their parents.
Those whom we regard as our loved ones form a lengthy list. Patience appears to be nearly depleted, understanding seems to be on strike, and the situation is becoming increasingly overwhelming.
Violence is a daily Occurrence
Beyond our families, the situation is deteriorating more than ever.
Our neighbor is anyone in the country and around the world.
Nowadays, it seems that hatred consumes us and fills all the space in our hearts; we lack the room to love our neighbor. Adults are worried, and our youth are soul-searching.
Acts of violence against our neighbors are seen worldwide, especially through ongoing wars like the one in Gaza and the broader Holy Land, affecting everyone. These times are hard to bear; in addition, the region is the cradle of our shared faith in One Unique God. The situation also makes it increasingly difficult to access the Holy sites.
Everybody is powerless. Our religious leaders urge us to pray.
At H. E. Dr. Ghoulem Berrah Foundation, our daily prayer is for Peace.
We were even contacted by a global prayer channel for peace, akin to those organized during World War II. Both laypeople and members of religious communities participate by praying for one minute simultaneously, at the designated hour in their respective countries. In the United States, the time is 1 pm Eastern. We hope for a similar success as achieved during World War II.
No Room for Hatred
It’s time to quote H.E. Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the first President of Côte d’Ivoire:
“I don’t harbor any space for hatred in my heart.”
We are powerless in the face of wars, aside from prayers, which are powerful but take time.
We can keep fostering love for our neighbors by settling our personal conflicts and promoting compassion for others, thus breaking the cycle
of impatience, misunderstanding, and even violence, starting within our own families.
It seems like a plan we can adopt. We should consider making the decision today regarding re-establishing communication with a brother we ignored for years due to his conduct towards us, an ex-wife, after a bitter divorce.
The ideal of forgiveness within the family is illustrated by the story of Joseph (Yusuf, in Arabic) and his brothers, as told in the Book of Genesis, which is shared by Judaism and Christianity, and in Surah Yusuf in the Holy Qur’an.
We recently observed a poignant example involving Pope Leo XIV, who granted forgiveness to his father, who had left during his toddler years and reappeared upon his election as Pope.
Forgiveness is a process, not always immediate. It is worth trying.
Let us endeavor to love our neighbor both within our family and beyond.
“Let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” From the Bible, The First Letter of Saint John