Since the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the world's attention has been focused on them and their achievements. Billions of people have expressed their warm, heartfelt approval of their living and loving on behalf of all in need or suffering. There has been abundance of tears, acclamation, loving messages, prayers, long vigils of waiting to sign the books of condolence, and "saying it with flowers". Central to our thoughts are those agonising privately in prayer, and two boys bereft of their loving mother.
What Queen Elizabeth said of Diana could be said of Mother Teresa: "There are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. May those who died rest in peace and may we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy."
Thank God there always have been those ready to help their fellow human beings in distress. Their vision of caring is increasingly evident in the number and variety of caring societies that have emerged to meet humanitarian needs, and in the loving way they are doing it.
A revolution in attitudes to the outcast or downcast members of society is growing. The temptation to "sweep things under the carpet", to ostracise or pass by on the other side is now often firmly replaced by that unyielding positive love to be seen in Mother Teresa, in Princess Diana, and in thousands of others of the same mind and heart. The exceptional reaction by the world to the deaths of great champions of real love is an unmistakable sign that real courage is more needed in all our dealings.
Mother Teresa and Princess Diana showed real compassion in their loving attention to touching the unloved or unsightly, or shaking hands with them. They were so occupied in curing lives that condoning or condemning became incidental touch-line comments of little help with the urgent task in hand . . . that of restoring unhappy people's confidence in being accepted, loved and healed.
The massive tributes that have been made to love as the way of life inspires deep yearning for more compassion in people. Of course there is nothing new about such real love. Ever since Christ, The King of Love, died for His love for people His Church has been proclaiming it as the way of life. "Love God, love your neighbour."
There is nothing easy about living out His way of love. The important thing, as believers and saints will affirm, is that Christ must be in our love. The Church points to the only source of real love, and to the means whereby it becomes part of us.
The supreme message at the funeral in Westminster Abbey was read by the Prime Minister with sincerity and spirit. It was St Paul's hymn of heavenly love (1 Corinthians, Chapter 13). Quiet meditation on its words teaches us a lot about love. St Paul's words introducing his words about love are a suitable message for today: "And now I will show you the best way of all."
"Lift my earth-bound longings, Fix them, Lord, above; Draw me with the magnet Of Thy mighty love."
W.W.