Group 1
Discussion of Question 3-Group A
Qn 3. A member recounted a story that took place in his village
several years when he was still a young boy. His father sent him and his
sibling to the garden to dig but a short while they decided to go and watch a
movie somewhere else. At around 9pm his relatives came to look for them but
when they saw them coming they hid in the bush. Afterwards, when they went home
they expected a thorough beating from their father but instead he thanked God
for their safe return. The fact that their father considered their safety
instead of observance of his rules is a great sign of love that still remains
in his mind.
Moreover,
another member remembers his former high school girlfriend who went against the
wish of her mother to protect him. He recalls that his former girlfriend’s
mother strongly advised her daughter to make sure that she gets married to him.
However, because they had an earlier agreement with the girl that he wanted to
become a religious in the future the girl ignored her mother’s advise and even
went ahead to support his idea of joining the seminary. This unselfish attitude
of this girl was an outward sign of the great love she had for this member.
Different
members mentioned that they deeply love their parents, siblings and some of
their closest friends. Due to the great love they have for them they wish them
a long and happy life, safety in their day-to-day activities, long lasting
friendship with them, success in their careers and a strong growth in God’s
love.
Lastly,
from the reading we noted that an acknowledgement of love is an acknowledgement
of the existence of the other; either a person or thing. It is something that
makes us wish all the best things to our object of love. Similarly, we express
different degrees of love for different things. For instance, we love our
parents more than our mobile phones. However, it is part of our experience that
our love for different things changes with time. The only love which is the
source of all love and one which does not change is the love we receive from
God. This is always available for us if we perceive it or not.
Members
Martin Mwenda Ikiao-secretary; Majone Romao; Andrianoromandimby
Jean Luc; Paluku; Ssekweyama Rocco
Group 2
NO REPORT YETGroup 3
Group
members are:
1. Respicius Kweyambe, 2. Benjamin Juana, 3. Cipriano Sapalo, 4. John Michael,
5.Akagwu Ojonojima John, and 6. Rainu Ram
 |
| Rainu Ram |
3. How have you experienced ‘love’
in your life? Where and when? Do you love someone deeply? Ultimately what do
you wish him/her and your relationship?
This theme can be divided into two
parts: a) Have you experienced ‘love’ in
your life? When and where? And b) Do
you love someone deeply? Ultimately what do you wish him/her and your
relationship?
According to the group members, the answer
of the first part is ‘Yes’. We each one of us experienced love in one way or
the other, either in the family or outside. Interestingly almost all the
members experienced our most profound love in the families, in the forms of
parental love, and fraternal love. We also experienced our love with the
friends.
The response to the second part of
the theme varies from each member. Some said that they had loved women very
deeply in the past but it is not so now. At the same time others expressed
their deep love to the parents, sisters and brothers still passionately. Most
of us expressed that there is paradigm shift in love from ‘Eros’ to ‘philia’ as we
are growing into maturity. Consequently, all members wished their ‘beloved’
having a good life, having a good family and getting a good partner in their
lives. And this response well fulfills the very definition of ‘love’ itself
i.e. ‘wishing good for others.’
The comment on the text:
‘Love’ is inexpressive in words. It
is well expressed by experience. Most of the group members agreed with ‘love’
as ‘eternal’. Some of us appreciated and supported the Buber’s understanding of
relationship i.e. ‘I-Thou’ relationship which includes treating others as
subject. Most of us suspected and questioned the term ‘genuine love’ because
from our personal experiences we know that love is selfish i.e. I love someone
or somebody in order to get something of them. However finally we agreed that
we should always strive for the genuine love
GROUP 4
.
For instance,
Andrew experienced love from his mother that
all times, the mother is there for him caring and taking care of him. Even if
he has done the mistake, the mother will guide him and give the proper
direction. She has never stopped loving him, and Andrew loves her very much.
Joseph had
also another dimension, that he has ever experienced and been in love with his
mother very much. He remember few years ago, one day to Christmas, he was burnt
with hot water. The mother took care of him in the hospital without any
complain that other family members are at home enjoying the feast of the
nativity of Jesus Christ.
Okemwa
experienced love while in the novitiate. He made a lady where he was doing his
pastoral at the hospital. The lady was beautiful that he admired her, they fell
into love sharing with her many things and they are still in touch.
Maralf
experienced love in a different angle. When he was in U.S.A illegally, he was
to be deported back to his country. A friend his, took care of him, he was
there for him to encourage him as waited either to go back or to settle with
the immigration office.
Isaac had a
different experience of love. When he graduated from philosophical studies, his
mother praised him with a lot of good lovely words, hugged him and he felt that
is the only person who loves her most.
From the
sharing, the group members acknowledged the love they had encountered made the
love deeply
Comment on
the text.
-
Love desires good and seeking good in another person or
object basing on the beauty of human nature.
-
To love a person is to wish the other person good.
-
Love blinds people, that is, forget egocentricity and
be the for the good of the other.
-
Love roots from the heart without basing on the senses
a lone.
-
Love is eternal since even if the one loved dies, h/she
will remain in the memory of the other person, and will be kept prayed for.
-
If one does not love, the he or she is missing
something in his or her life.
N/B. Love in human beings, involve
reasoning whereby emotions does not over it. The love in human being is based
on the moral teaching of the Bible unlike animals that instinctively involves,
feelings governing them.
Group 5
Nuwagaba Justus (M. AF); Christian Mumpa (IMC); Daniel Kabuya (M. AF); Rono Nicodemus ( O. SA); Chanikya Kodati ( MHM)
How have you experienced ‘love’ in your life? Where and When? Do you love someone deeply? Ultimately what do you wish him/her and your relationship?
Love is “a strong feeling of deep affection for somebody or something, especially a member of your family or a friend.” (Oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary). First and foremost, it was acknowledged that we have different types of love: Agape, Filial and Eros. From the discussion, all the members attested to the fact that they have had an experience of love. However this differed from one to another with majority preferring to share about the love of siblings and family members. Through the sharing, the love we have received from mothers, fathers, siblings and even a grandmother was highlighted. All the same, the love of friends and especially those of women was part of the sharing. This however raised some questions owing to the fact that we are religious men. That notwithstanding, it was agreed that they too can be loved but not without some limits. In relation to the Text “Love desires eternity”, a good example was given. A member of the group loves his 80 year old grandmother so dearly that he has often fought with the idea that one day she will have to die. He wishes that she may live to see him become a priest. Thus, it was agreed that love immortalizes the loved.
“True love only exists in movies and in novels but not in real life”. This was the sentiment that was agreed upon when members shared about the wounds and sufferings they have had to incur in the name of love. Some said that due to the bitter experiences they had in the past, they were not disposed to love again; especially loving women. It was also agreed that the intensity of injury incurred depends on how much one had loved. It turned out that even the love of family members can ultimately lead to betrayal and psychological wounds. An example of how a member was betrayed by his mother upon a separation with his father gave us the extent of pain that can be felt when love is withdrawn. Being the strongest love that can be experienced, when one is hurt, for instance a member who was hurt by the mother suffered more.
Group 6
CASE STUDY
NUMBER THREE (3): EXPERIENCE OF LOVE
- George Michira: He experienced love as something
which is very rich in his life and any human being in general. According
to him, love should not be left behind in human’s life due to its
important towards God and his or her neighbour. Despite the fact that he
was a loving person when he was experiencing this love to others, still he
faced some challenges which could stop him from experiencing or sharing
this kind of love he had to others. From his own experience, he was able
to overcome all these challenges out of love. George experienced love at his home place in Nakuru while
still a student in a high school. He also experienced it in Arusha
Tanzania when doing his degree in philosophy.
George had tried and still is
trying to wish all his friends that true relationship or what we can call
mutual relationship needs to be continued in our lives due to the fact that
love itself comes from God. It is a gift that God had given it to us freely and
it is our duty to share it with others and by doing that we will be wishing
them well in their lives. He insists
that love is what makes us exist due to the fact that we all are loved by God
who is the perfect love (Divine love).
- Anthony Musonde: Anthony had a good experience of
love when he was in a high school with his friends. He is still
experiencing it even today here in Tangaza College with his new friends.
He had and still having that mutual kind of love towards his friend and he
loves them deeply. For him love can be compared with the message he got
from a song which expresses love as something which is very powerful in
the sense that it can change all aspects of human life such as our way of
thinking, act, look at things, perspectives and so many aspects. For him, if
you love a person you will like to live with him or her forever due to the
fact that you are united by love which is a special gift from God and as a
gift given to us freely, we are responsible to share it with others and
being united to eternal being (God) through mutual relationship with Him
and our neighbours and the universe.
- Batholomeo Senewo: He encountered the experience of
love in the work of creation of the universe. For him the most important
thing about love is that sense of giving appreciation on all things
created by God. When we express our love to things created by God, things
that even God Himself loved them after He had created them, we also will
be express our love to God our creator. This kind of love which we will be
having towards the things created by God will lead us to divine love (God
Himself). From his own experience, Batholomeo’s love towards others is
very deep as he is very convinced that you cannot separate human being
from loving experiences due to the fact that it is this love which leads
them to the divine love, means the perfect love above all (God our
creator).
- Christopher Nkole: He experienced love while in
his country of origin (Zambia) as a young boy when he was in high school
with his friends during those joyful days. He deeply loved his friends and
was ready to share with them the kind of love he had towards them. For
him, when you really love others, you too will be loved by them. He
insisted that any love we receive from others pulls us to appreciate them
and by doing so we are also able to appreciate the whole universe and by
appreciate the universe we also appreciate her creator (God).
Conclusion: We concluded by saying that; love as a gift from God, and as
human being receives it freely from God, it is supposed to be shared wisely by
all human beings due to the fact that it leads them to the Divine love (God)
who is the true love and perfect above all loves. All kind of love which can be
expressed by human beings should have their root in Divine love which is the
source and course of love. Love towards our neighbours, toward the universe or
all other things created by God, and towards God Himself, leads us to Divine
love (God), hence, towards eternity.
Group members:
Group 6 – Anthony
Musonde, Batholomeo Senewu, Christopher Nkole, George Michira, Joseph Mmasi and
Paul Gabris.
Group 7
NO REPORT YET
NO REPORT YET
No comments:
Post a Comment