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Identifying oneself with people and loving them is the most important thing in our spiritual life. Identification means putting oneself in the place of others and seeing their desires and problems as one's own. Then we can love people whole-heartedly, loving them as we love ourselves.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, we find how the Samaritan finding the injured man on the road, helped him to the utmost. The Samaritan might have put himself in the place of the injured man and understood his feelings. That must be the reason why the Samaritan helped him risking the attack of the thieves.
Some years ago the writer of this article heard what happened in a house in America. The master of the house hired a worker to do some repair work in the house. But it so happened that the worker came only by mid-night; hence the master of the house did not allow him to work. The worker pleaded for mercy, but of no use. When the worker went home, he met a policeman on duty. The policeman offered to plead for him. Thus, the two went to the house. Still the master of the house did not agree. So the two went out in sorrow. The six-year-old son of the master of the house, who was watching this came and asked, "Daddy how you would have felt if you were in his place?" Realizing the guilt, the master of the house went straightaway to the worker's house and offered apology. He told his son what he had done. The boy had the spirit of identification. What we need is the same.
Because our Lord identified Himself with the sinners, He became man and offered Himself as a sacrifice for the redemption of mankind. He prayed to the heavenly Father for those who crucified Him, saying "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do" [St. John 23:34]. Poet Chenganpuzha speaks of the intimate love between two friends who identified with each other saying, "Though we are two bodies, we are one in the spirit."
It is when we see others as strangers that we become jealous of them in their exaltation. On the other hand, when we identify ourselves with people we can rejoice in their success. St. Paul says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" [Romans 12:15] When we identify ourselves with sinners, we can forgive them and give competition and rivalry among religions, the different groups in religions, and political parties. Then there will not be crimes and divorces in families.
When we have the spirit of identification, we will have more consideration for the well-being of animals and plants also. A poet after killing a fly wrote as follows:
"Little fly, thy summer's play,
My thoughtless hand has brushed away.
Am not I a fly like you
Or art not thou, a man like me.
For I dance and drink and sing,
Till some dark hand brush my wing."
Heaven is what we make through identification and love with the grace of God.
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