31/52 one way street

The other day I read an article in Relevant magazine entitled "20 things to know before you're 30."
Number two on the list:

Say no to one-way friendships.

I have a ways to go before I hit the big 3-0, but I hope this never makes the list of life lessons I've learned. Why? Because I think it's totally inconsistent with the faith we claim to profess.

Jesus left us with the commandment "Love one another as I have loved you." How then could we dare sever the ties of one-way relationships? There was no more lop-sided love than God's love for us. He stepped down from the highest throne in heaven to dwell amongst the lowest on earth. He washed the feet of the one who would betray him with a kiss. He looked with love on the one that would deny him thrice before the end of night. He gave his life for the very ones who nailed him to a tree.

There was and is no greater love than this. Few things stir our hearts as unrequited love does, because we see in the lover the purest of loves. It exists not for the merits of or due to expectation of anything from the beloved. It exists simply for the sake of the beloved. To bring joy to the beloved. Yes, of course love hopes for mutual affection. But true love endures in spite of continued indifference or even outright rejection. It "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

So, no, do not say no to one-way friendships. Say no to conditional friendship. Love is not quid pro quo.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them."-Jesus

2/52 unexpected

Every once in awhile, I receive a text from a five-digit number. In most cases, it's just SMS spam. The blood center wants my platelets or some business is advertising the latest promotion. But on some rare occasions, it comes from a close friend, who is now 11,000 miles away. It always comes when I least expect it, but often most need it. The effect of that one brief message lasts for weeks-- if not months.

Although the 160-character limit restricts the content, it never detracts from the meaning. This simple, yet unexpected gesture conveys so much more than the words it delivers. It says, "I know we haven't spoken or even written in a long time, but I think of you every day." It says, "Even though half the world now separates us, we are no more distant than when we lived half an hour away from one another."

We are often told that the complexity or the price tag of a gift is an indication of the love behind it. And yet it is often the simplest yet most thoughtful of acts that warm our hearts the most. Their effect is further magnified when we don't expect it. Maybe it's because I belong to a culture that rarely displays affection, but I can't help but feel that we don't express our love often enough. And as a result, too many forget that they are loved. If you love someone, don't let them forget it.

"One kind word can warm three winter months." - Japanese proverb