“’The most important one’, answered Jesus, ‘is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’” Mark 12: 28-34 (part)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13: 34-35
Jesus was asked a question. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” And with this question, he answered clearly and directly. Love God, Love others; especially loving others as Jesus loves us. This is our purpose.
There is a lot of pain and tragedy in the world. And not just “out there.” As individuals we experience a great deal in our own lives, too. Many questions about why and how go unanswered. People attack one another verbally and physically over big and often very small issues. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be different. We are called to live out what Jesus clearly answered.
This first week of January is still in the season of Christmas in which we remember the Good News of God’s love for us. We are called to live out the Great Commandment with God’s help. We are called to be the best versions of ourselves and of the church as we possibly can be. As people with the power of the Spirit of God in us, we can help bring about, more and more, God’s Kingdom here on Earth as it is in heaven. Here in Michigan, here in (the name of your town/facility), as it is in heaven.
Recently, I was at Cedar Cove in the Upper Peninsula and this was the message of the week on the board in their activities room.
In a world where we can be many things. In a world where people speak and act in many ways, not often in line with the Way of Love…. In a world where we can be almost anything,
Let us be like Jesus!
Chaplain Karen