The Constant Wanderer

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. – Mother Teresa

"Love until it hurts." This is a phrase my college friends and I often use to encourage each other. There was a point when we realized that our understanding of love was just too shallow. We found that the closer we got to each other, the harder it was to love without prejudice. What else could you expect ? When masks come off, when past hurts are revealed, when hidden sins are brought to light ... would our human love be enough?

Mother Teresa was a great role model for us. Her sacrificial service to the unwanted, unloved, and uncared for inspired millions around the globe to combat social evils in their communities. In my mind, what sets her apart is her full embrace of the brokenness around her. Never once did she shy away from living and serving among the rejected in our society. At a time when mainstream media brainwashes us to compulsively satisfy our every selfish desire, Mother Teresa went to places where she would experience much brokenness and pain. It is this type of countercultural lifestyle and the example that she led that shaped me into the person I am today.

It is refreshing to look at Mother Teresa’s example of sacrificial love in light of today’s consumerist culture. In a society where personal comfort takes priority over services of social compassion and mercy, Mother Teresa gives us a new perspective on how we ought to live. Her words fittingly capture the essence of genuine love – that no matter the cost or the pain, genuine love just keeps on loving ... unconditionally.