The coming change to people’s way of life in our Christian world consists in violence being replaced with love, in recognizing the possibility, ease and bliss of a life founded not on violence and the fear of it, but on love.
It is difficult to get used to not pitying people for the things which they themselves feel self-pity for: the loss of property, family, beauty, health, worldly fame, and begin pitying them for the things they really ought to be pitied for: the loss of their morality, clarity of mind and good habits. And meanwhile, this attitude towards others is necessary in order for you to fulfill your obligations to them.
“I command these things to you, that you may love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
— John 15:17–19
People think that under certain circumstances they may treat a person without love, but such circumstances do not exist. You can treat objects without love: you can chop down trees, make bricks and forge iron without love, but you should not treat people without love, just as you should not handle bees without care. The nature of bees is such that if you handle them without care, you will harm both them and yourself. It is the same with people.
And this cannot be otherwise because mutual love between people is the primary law of human life. It is true that a human being cannot force himself to love the way that he can force himself to work; but this does not mean that you can treat people without love, especially if you require something from them. If you do not feel love for others, then sit quietly, work on yourself or on other things, do whatever you like, but do not deal with people. Just as it is only beneficial and not harmful to eat when you are hungry, so too is it beneficial and not harmful to interact with people only when you love them. Dare to treat people without love, and there will be no limits to cruelty and brutality with respect to others, and no limits to suffering for you.
Until I see Christ’s most important commandment being followed—the love for one’s enemies—I will not stop doubting the sincerity of those who call themselves Christians.
— Lessing
The moment you allow that under certain conditions a human being can do to his neighbor what he would not wish done to him, you permit all manner of violence, such as punishments and even murder, and all teaching of love turns into empty words.
The tiniest evil must not be done in order to bring about the success of the greatest good.
— Pascal
The most fatal error that ever happened in the world was the separation of political and ethical science.
— Shelley
Do not live in such a way that, being in accord with the world, you are prepared to maintain this way of life. If you live this way, then you are pushing away the coming of the kingdom of love. Live in such a way that makes the advent of this kingdom possible. And in order to live this way, base your life not on violence, but on love.
