杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo

The words 鈥渢heology鈥� and 鈥渢enderness鈥� seem very distant, said 杏MAP导航 Francis to the participants at a conference in Rome this week.

The first word seems to recall a world of academics, the second, interpersonal relations. 鈥淚n reality,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis 鈥渙ur faith ties them together inextricably. Theology is called upon to communicate the concreteness of the God of love. And tenderness translates, to the present day, the affection that God nurtures for us.鈥�

This is the first of three reflections 杏MAP导航 Francis voiced on the expression 鈥渢he theology of tenderness鈥�.

Feelings first

The 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥淣owadays, everything begins with what one feels鈥�. He said theology is called upon to accompany existential research. It cannot be reduced to a feeling but we must recognise that in many parts of the world, vital questions are approached through current emotions rather than social needs. This has not always been the case, and 杏MAP导航 Francis acknowledged that 鈥渙ne may not like it, but it is a matter of fact.鈥�

To love and be loved

杏MAP导航 Francis asked what a theology of tenderness might entail, bringing up two points: 鈥渢he beauty of feeling loved by God鈥� and 鈥渢he beauty of feeling like loving in the name of God.鈥�

Antidote to fear

鈥淭o feel loved鈥� he said, 鈥渋s a message that in recent times has reached us more powerfully鈥�, from mercy, the essential characteristic of the Holy Trinity and of Christian life. 鈥淭enderness can indicate precisely the manner in which we recognise the divine mercy.鈥� He said that tenderness reveals to us, next to the paternal aspect, the maternal aspect of God, who loves us 鈥渕ore than a mother loves her child鈥�.

He said tenderness is the 鈥渁ntidote to fear with regards to God鈥� and that 鈥渢rust beats fear鈥�. 鈥淭o feel loved therefore means to learn to trust in God, to tell Him, as He desires: 鈥楯esus, I place my trust in you鈥欌��.

From stone to flesh

The Lord鈥檚 Passion 鈥渋nvites us to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, and to grow passionate about God. And about man, for the love of God.鈥�

Tender God, tender man

杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淲hen we truly feel loved, we are led to reciprocate that love.鈥� Reminding us that 鈥淚f God is infinitely tender, we, who are made in the image of God, must also be capable of tenderness鈥�.

He said that God鈥檚 tenderness brings us to the understanding that 鈥渓ove is the meaning of life鈥�. We are called to pour the love we receive from the Lord back into the world 鈥� into the family, Church and society. 鈥淎ll this鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渘ot out of duty, but for love鈥�.

A contemporary Word

These points address a 鈥渕oving theology鈥�: one that is not narcissistic, but extends to services to the community, and one that does not settle with repeating past paradigms, but that reflects the Incarnate Word.

鈥淐ertainly not the silent Word of God鈥�, he continued, the flesh that the Word is called to assume, that changes, from era to era.

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded that there is much work to be done for theology and for its mission today. 鈥淭o incarnate the Word of God, for the Church and for the person of the third millennium.鈥�