"God calls us to love the unlovable."
The first time I heard this, I reflected on how many people I became friends with. I asked myself why I offered my friendship to them, why they deserved it, and why I still commit myself to these people in spite of others telling me to do otherwise and in spite of what my conscience is telling me. Was this all God's plan?
I found myself belonging to a group of friends in my high school years. I committed my time bonding with them by offering my house to be our meeting place every weekend. My house was just minutes away from our school and I had stuff to share with my friends - my guitar, my playstation, my chess set, and my comfortable space in the living room.
Looking back, I remember I was hoping that none of my friends would be a bad influence to the group. I was blessed to have an awesome set of friends. Yet, as I see my friends reveal a part of themselves throughout the passage of time, my conscience wanted me to step back and reflect upon what makes a good friend and what makes a strong relationship with friends. Eventually, I started to appreciate them. I like the fact that each of us are different with different attitudes, different approaches to life and different ideas and principles to share. Although there comes a time when I had arguments and fights with some of them, my loyalty to them didn't really fade away.
But I remembered someone telling me to change, and I even felt unappreciated for my actions and deeds. All I can say is that I did my best to change for my friends - and although I insisted them to listen to what I have to say, in the end I didn't bother myself to ask my friends to change for me.
Now how is this related to loving the unlovable? Some of the friends I bonded with were criticized for their personalities and even I had those moments prejudging them.
But I was able to think of it this way... I myself was also criticized and prejudged by other people. So I could be just as undeserving as others to be loved and to be befriended.
Yet God kept on blessing me with friends. He kept on making me learn about humanity through my friendships. He taught me to love even those who don't deserve it.
And that, I think, is God's message to me when He calls us to "Love the Unlovable".
