Where should we start?

 

Love.

No other word in the English language has so many varied definitions or evokes more feelings as the word “love.”  In the course of any particular day people say things like “I love this chair” and “I love this food” or “I love these shoes” or “I love this soap.”  

How can we love a soap?  How do we love a chair?  How can we possibly use the same word to describe our feelings for our daughter, our mother, or each other, that someone else uses to describe a pair of sandals?

It’s no wonder there are wars and poverty and murder and hate!  In our world today, “things” are more valued and worthy of our love than people!  And today in America, right here — right now — the diseases of hate and anger are far more destructive than any virus could possibly be.  Just stop for a moment and take a hard look at what we’re doing to each other… is there even a word to describe it appropriately?

I don’t think there can be a more appropriate Gospel for us right now than the one I’m reflecting on today (Mark12:28-34).  A scribe asks Jesus, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”  Jesus replies, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Even after 2000 years, Jesus sets us straight.  He quotes the most sacred statement of Jewish belief, the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), reminding us that our deepest love is reserved for God, and God alone.  Then He goes on to point out that we’re called to reveal our love for God in the way we treat others.

Many of us might be saying, “Now just wait a minute, Jesus, this saying is hard: who can accept it? (John 6:60).  You mean I have to love that so-and-so that just cut me off on the freeway?  That I have to love that man who’s begging on the freeway off-ramp, the spouse who betrayed me, or the friend that deeply hurt me?  No way, Jesus.  These people are flat-out not at all worthy of my love.”

What we have to realize is that treating the other person with love has just about nothing to do with their worthiness of our love.  Jesus proved that with the very first strike of the hammer that sent a spike through His flesh and bone.  It’s really about our ability to take the love God has showered on us so abundantly –- even wastefully –- and share it with all those people…all those who cut us off.  All those who are homeless, “dirty,” and outcast.  All those who have betrayed us.  All those who hurt us.

All those who are the faces of Christ.

God calls us to love.  Where should we start?

Maybe by remembering the first two words of the Greatest Prayer, taught to us by Jesus: “OUR Father…”

Then, by thanking God for the great gift of His incredible, unconditional love for us.

I pray that He grants me the grace to give even just 1% of that love to every person I see.  Especially that dummy over there…  and even that big dummy I see in the mirror. Amen.