"Whenever, contrary to the world’s vindictiveness, we love our enemy, we exhibit something of the perfect love of God, whose will is to bring all human beings together as children of one Father. Whenever we forgive instead of getting angry at one another, bless instead of cursing one another, tend one another’s wounds instead of rubbing salt into them, hearten instead of discouraging one another, give hope instead of driving one another to despair, hug instead of harassing one another, welcome instead of cold-shouldering one another, thank instead of criticizing one another, praise instead of maligning one another . . . in short, whenever we opt for and not against one another, we make God’s unconditional love visible; we are diminishing violence and giving birth to a new community." Henri Nouwen

Jesus came to change the culture of sin to the culture of love, to change hearts interiorly from self to other, to change the culture of death to life. This is possible not by our own efforts, but with the grace of God. When our eyes are on the Lord with whom we are in relationship then our actions will be in union with his will, what is "good, pleasing and perfect."  Our rule of life is not based on what others do or think, but on what God wants me to do. As someone once said, the one loved wants what the beloved wants, does what pleases the beloved. That is why falling in love with God is the beginning of true living.