(a 3 minute read) Sebastian is an 11 year old growing up in an area where Jaxson is the Godfather figure in the neighborhood. For an 11 year old, it is mesmerizing to see how Jaxson is treated by everyone. Sebastian sees people giving him so much respect. Some would even bow and kiss his hand as he passed by. “Man it is just awesome to be loved that way”, Sebastian would tell his friends.

One time over dinner, Sebastian excitedly told his parents, “I want to be like Jaxson when I grow up!”

“Why do you say that son?” His father asked.

Sebastian quickly and eagerly responded, “Dad, can’t you see how much everyone loves Jaxson.”

“My dear son, this is not love, this is fear. There is a huge difference.”

Sebastian’s dad went on to explain that Jaxson, under the guise of protection, robs people of their own. The funny thing is; the protection Jaxson is offering is actually from himself and what his people can do to those that they are supposedly protecting.

The only reason people show respect or reverence to Jaxson is because they fear him. They fear that they would lose their protection, and fear to be on the ‘bad’ side of Jaxson. Therefore, the perceived love and loyalty is generated from fear not from love.

“You know why you do not want to be like Jaxson son?”

“Why dad?”

Jaxson is a very lonely man. Although he is always surrounded with many people, and you see them serving him at his beckon call, Jaxson cannot trust any single one of them. Believe it or not Jaxson craves love but instead, all he has is loneliness and insecurity.

“Dad, all I see is people giving him gifts and show him respect, and you want to tell me this is not love?”

Sebastian’s dad went on to clarify that if Jaxson did not have protection to offer, none of these people would even shake his hand, let alone kiss it.

“True Love my son is when you give someone something with zero expectation of protection and with Nothing/Zero/Zilch/Nada expected in return.”

A good example is how we view our Lord and Creator. Our God, Our Father craves us to exhibit our LOVE.  After all, we were created to Love the Lord if we so choose.

A true love based on nothing in return, based on ZERO expectation from the Creator. It is not the protection that we seek from the Lord, nor the favor that we want from the Lord, a simple, unhampered, unconstrained and unconditional LOVE. A love best described when you see a child stub their toe. What do they do? The child looks around for the mom and runs into her arms crying. There is ZERO expectation of the child that mom will make the pain go away……………….. Nothing/Zero/Ziltch/Nada expectation, ONLY the comfort of being in her arms.

May I love you my Creator and my Lord in this same way as this child does his mom. Just seeking you always for the comfort of Your Presence and your Presence alone. Amen

A confession, the story line of the Godfather came from watching “A Bronx Tale”, and figured it is quite applicable here.