Written by Francois Fenelon (1651-1715), a French archbishop, theologian, poet, and writer.
It takes work to enjoy even the easiest people. Here are two necessities for living in community and friendship: abandon your many high demands and patiently tolerate the other’s annoying behavior. Expect less; put up with more…The truth is that all of us, even those who seem nearly flawless, have scads of imperfections…We have a good number of faults ourselves…You are dealing with two flawed people (you and the other person), and no matter how good your relationship, it will eventually be difficult for both of you to endure the other. This is why we must pick up the slack for the other person in the very place where that one struggles the most (the places where the person is the most annoying). We move toward the other’s defects, not away. When we do this, we obey God, walking the Jesus way. We do what the letter to the Galatians encourages us to do: allow love to balance out each other’s shortcomings…Each of us must do the hard work of participating in the ways God is cleaning us up. And part of your hard work is putting up with other people’s faults. You know how hard and painful it is when God cleans you up; so, why don’t you expend your energy trying to help others’ experience be less hard and less painful? Rather than condemning them, comfort them.
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [Galatians 6:2]
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