Jesus gave up his divine privileges to become flesh and dwell among us. He fully participated in the human experience, and yet without sin. And in this way we can also enter the world of others without taking on their sin, or even their emotional reactions.
Jesus shows us how to live. And this is true even through his incarnation. Though he was God, he was not afraid to get his hands dirty, to eat, celebrate, or cry with us as the occasion required. In this respect, he was fully engaged. But he also remained detached in that he kept his kingdom orientation of the world. He did not adopt our way of seeing and living. And, as also demonstrated by the apostle Paul, this is the model and expectation for us as well.
For example, whether in marriage, parenting, friendship, or even those on the other side of the political aisle, we’re called to love our neighbor. And this requires us to some degree to enter into their world and try to see things from their point of view. This equips us to truly advocate for love on their behalf.
But fully joining with others through the ups and downs of life does not require us to adopt their same mindset or heart attitudes as we do. Benevolent detachment frees us to love without getting sucked into the emotional vortex of others. And while getting sucked in might not cause us to sin per se, it does take our eyes off God, which hinders our ability to see clearly and love effectively. We often become more concerned about keeping others happy, or ourselves comfortable, rather than pursuing true love when we’re not able to separate our emotional state from others.
In the end, Jesus showed us how to enter the world of others without adopting their way of life. And this benevolent detachment would serve us well as we also seek to offer a fully present and engaging practice of love to others.
