Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Nothing really complicated about this — the greatest commandment. Nothing complicated, and yet we have a really hard time living it. The greatest commandment was condensed from the 10 Commandments, which descended from Mount Sinai with Moses. It seems that people had a hard time remembering 10, so Jesus gave them three. It was, might we say, the Reader’s Digest version.
Three parts, and by far, the first part is the easiest. Loving God is just nebulous enough that we can be mostly successful. It is not that hard to love God. After all, we do not have to live with God; God does not burden us with in-laws, ex’s, or reminders of our past infidelities. God is always with us, but God never leaves an empty toilet paper roll, socks on the floor, or dishes in the sink. God is with us, but God is also out there, mysterious always, but not annoying.
Love of neighbor is a little more complicated than loving God. First of all, we have the whole question of who qualifies as our neighbor. Jesus answered that clearly in the parable of the Good Samaritan. They are all our neighbors; foreigners, those who practice strange religions, those whose skin color is different than ours, and those who vote for the wrong candidates.
Love of neighbor is a little more complicated than loving God. Loving our neighbor is reasonably easy as long as the neighbor does not live next door. If the neighbor, like God, lies low, keeps distant, and causes us no trouble, then we get along fine. But if they park their car in our spot, if they build a fence and block our view of the Salish Sea, if their dog barks too much, or they have a habit of playing heavy metal late at night, well then, loving them is a challenge. Remember now, loving them does not necessitate liking them. Love of neighbor does not imply that one approves of their choices or lifestyle. Love is, in this case, a verb, not a feeling. Love is patient and kind. Patience and kindness — that is what you owe every human who enters your orbit.
Love of self. Nothing works if we do not find a way to love ourselves. We are not likely to be much use to God or neighbor if we cannot make peace with ourselves. That makes the final thought of the great commandment the most important and most difficult, love of self. Love is patient and kind. Are you patient and kind to the one who looks back at you in the mirror? Do you feed that one healthy food? Do you take that one out for exercise? Do you cut that one a break for past failures and less than flattering chapters in their life story? Do you believe the words that Jesus speaks to us as we hold out our shaking hands to receive bread and wine? “Given for you for the forgiveness of sins.” If God can forgive us, perhaps it is time to forgive ourselves, to love ourselves, and to live in a way that is kinder to ourselves.
Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Not all that complicated is it? All the commandments are covered in these three. Let’s see if we can’t do a better job living in love. The payoff will be a more abundant life for all.
Keep smiling!
PJ
