Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. And that applies to every human being, whether a man or woman, heterosexual or gay, intellectually or physically disabled, coloured or white, sinner or saint, religious or atheist, and the list goes on and on.
God in His infinite goodness, His unconditional love and His boundless mercy, makes no distinction and gives of Himself freely to all. We are the ones who put up the barriers, who refuse to listen to His living word, who refuse to obey His commandment: “Love each other as I have loved you.”
He loves. Irrespective of our beliefs or even our way of life. He chooses to love us and to wait for us to recognise our need of Him in our lives. He does not judge us. As a loving Father, He embraces us and welcomes us into His loving arms. No distinction is made. We are the ones who make distinctions, who put labels on people because we are continuously judging them, continuously putting ourselves in a position of righteousness, a righteousness that looks at the straw in people’s eyes but not the beam in our own eyes.
Why can’t we learn that each and every human being, in his or her search for love in other human beings, will eventually encounter and recognise the love of this wondrous God who created all life, in all its diversity and in all its beauty, but even in its state of becoming, with all the challenges and suffering that this presents. Have you ever stopped to consider that He might actually be testing our capacity to love unconditionally, just as He loves us?
As a nation, and as a Catholic nation, we should recognise that we need to look far beyond our prejudices and judgments. We need to look at the heart of the matter; we need to touch and feel the untold suffering of those whom we are constantly excluding and even condemning.
We need to empathise and recognise that many situations are extremely difficult and challenging, and if we have not experienced anything of the kind, we should really keep silent and pray, because, but for the grace of God, go I.
So please, let us put this righteous anger aside and recognise that the change of the words in the Marriage Act are, really and truly, not that much of a life changer, because it is actually how we each stand before God that makes the difference to marriage and not an act of law.