The Jesus Response
What does it mean to take the high road?
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.- Romans 12:9-16b
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, taking the high road means to behave morally, when others are not.
It is a comparative statement. It says that I choose to be above you in actions and deeds.
Paul is not drawing a comparison though in his letter to the Church in Rome. He is simply saying that we as Christians need to be focused on loving one another, celebrating the good with those who are doing well, and praying for those who fall into evil.
If this is not the high road, it is surely the road less taken.
Most of us tend to return hatred for hatred, anger for anger, curse for curse. It is a natural response. What Paul suggests is unnatural. It is the Jesus response.
Our mission on earth, according to Jesus, is to love one another. Our actions should be from the heart, not from the mind or ego.
When someone does something cruel, we should remind ourselves that he is a child of God like we are, and we should find it in our hearts to love him.
It is not an easy thing to do.
Maybe, in a way, it is the higher road, the one less capable of being traveled, because it is harder to get to.
The challenge for us is to decide if it is the road for us.
More to come...