LOVE : It is the greatest thing of all- in time and in eternity. That is why there is no greater guilt than the sin against love and that is- unlovingness. We were created in the image of God, who is Love, and after the fall we were redeemed to love through our Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing pierces God's heart more deeply than our not reflecting His image of love. Yes, the apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13 that we are nothing and that our supposedly loving deeds like “giving away all our possessions” or “hand over our bodies to be burned” are also nothing. All our words and actions, our whole being, have to be filled with love; otherwise, no matter what we do, we will constantly become guilty towards others.
What does unlovingness include? It is passing by one's neighbour's needs and gentle requests; it is the beginning of hardheartedness. We are really not interested in others; we are not merciful to them; we do not sympathize with them. We neither rejoice with our neighbours nor mourn with them. We neither show them our appreciation nor our dislike, neither our interests nor indifference. We do not spoil them with our love and we are not kind to them when they are overlooked or humiliated. Sometimes our forgetfulness, which we try to excuse by saying that we had so much to do, is nothing but our great unwillingness to love others. But even when we seem to be working for others and busily helping them, we may actually only be trying to satisfy our own egos. Then we do not hear the Holy Spirit, when He quietly admonishes us; and when it is really important, when others really need our help, we can be very unloving.
There are not enough words to express all the damage unlovingness can do. Without realizing it, we can drive sad and discouraged people into despair, we can crush their souls by taking away their last hope. Just like the case of the poor man Lazarus who was ignored by the rich man at whose door he used to lie down longing for satisfying his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Both of them died. Lazarus was taken up to heaven by the angels but the rich man was condemned to Hell where he was being tormented for eternity for his sin of indifference and negligence against his poor brother in distress. And yet we think that what we have not done is nothing wicked or sinful, but we were “just a bit unloving” putting all the blame on the situation or the person(s) concerned. But if we try to make this sin of unlovingness seem harmless out of ignorance, we are deceiving ourselves, not God or our neighbour. We have not seen our behavior in the light of Christ and in comparison with the Word of God. In the end, one day our cold, unloving, selfish, egoistic, uncaring attitude, and our words and deeds will stand against us and judge us. One of the most arresting words of judgment that Jesus spoke, that hits us to the core, was directed at the unloving, who pass by the needs of others, “You that are accursed, depart from me …!” (Matt. 25:41). Only if we have been “shaken up” by these words, will we no longer be able to persevere blindly in the sin of unlovingness.
Because it is so easy to deceive ourselves through self-righteousness, we ought to yearn to see our words and actions towards our neighbours in the light of God.
He has to show us our unlovingness so that we will fight against it. At the end of our life we will be judged according to love how much love we had when we worked for others, how merciful and forgiving we were to them, and how wisely and selflessly we did utilize the talents, gifts, charisms and blessings which were endowed upon us by our Heavenly Father, not on the basis of what we had achieved or accumulated for ourselves our worldly wealth, property and assets, relatives, friends. Then it will be of no avail to prove that we have not committed any coarse sins such as betrayal, blasphemy or slander. For the Holy Bible includes this sin of unlovingness in its list of serious sins (Romans 1:32; 2 Tim. 3:3). And when Jesus announces his devastating verdict, “You that are accursed, depart from me”, it means “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).
Whoever does not want God to pass this sentence on him has to get to the bottom of his unlovingness in order to deal with it. The root of unlovingness is self-love. We love ourselves so much, and so are involved in ourselves, that we do not have any interest or time left over for others. Why do we love ourselves so much? Because we are separated from God, the eternal Love. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments” (1 John 5:2). We do not love God, who is love; that is the real reason for our sin of unlovingness. That is the first thing that we must recognize: our relationship with God is not in order. We have not given Him our first love; we are not one with Him, our loving Father and Creator. That is why love cannot stream forth from our hearts to others. Instead we are indifferent and harsh to all or certain people. We are living apart from Jesus, ignoring His commandment to love others.
That is where we have to begin to repent, rethink and renew our thoughts and ways. God, who has promised to forgive a repentant and humble heart and to answer earnest prayer, will let us repent of our sin against the first commandment, not loving God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. If we come to Jesus' cross with a repentant and loving heart, we will hear His words, “It is finished!”, “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you!” He is victorious over sin, death and hatred and He himself will lead those to the path of victory who put trust in Him and acknowledge Him as their Saviour and Lord. He has redeemed us from our unlovingness with his Sacrifice on the Cross, the sign of true love in its greatest form, so that we can love each other being in Him. These words have opened a new fount; His love flows into us through His most precious Blood, from His wounds and His heart.
Love has been purchased for us by Christ. Those who ask for it will receive it. He will receive eyes to see the needs and sufferings of others, hands which do good deeds, and above all a heart that is inflamed and overflowing with love. Could there be any other prayer which Jesus would rather answer than the prayer for love? Scripture says that it is the greatest of all. He has redeemed us so that we may become a new creation in Christ, so that we bear the image of love, the most beautiful image that a man can bear. By loving, we will learn how to love. Then we will receive grace at the end of our life, when we have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Instead of hearing the devastating words of Christ, we will hear the words of favour and grace, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!” (Matt. 25:34)

Let us Pray: O Jesus, since you are the fountain and source of perfect Love, I will ask You: Do not tolerate anything in me that goes against true love. Help me to hate my unlovingness and indifference and grant me a repentant, humble and thankful heart, which will lead me to a new life. Grant me the loving eyes to look at others when I have passed by them, when I have hurt them. Show me with your Divine Light the moments when I have let others wait in vain for a loving glance, word or deed. You have shed Your precious Blood to redeem me to love. Hence, in Your mercy, see that Your redemption manifests in my life and bears fruit manifold. I will not give up, until this change comes to pass in me, until Your love comes to life in me and flows forth from me through my words and deeds. To the glory of Your greatest and most blessed name, Jesus, You will accomplish this, O victorious Lamb of God, and lead me to eternal salvation in Your Kingdom. Amen.