Essential Christianity

Vol 2 No 17

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

In the last few years I have been shocked. To know that there are people in the world who believe that killing others in the name of religion pleases God. It is astonishing to me. Someone asked me the other day why there are so many jokes about the pope. I didn't know and they responded, “Because you won't get killed if you tell one.” People have gotten their heads cut off because they joked about a certain deity. Newspapers will not run some stories, including pictures, for fear of being bombed.

Our verses today are a perfect example of how Christianity is so different from other world religions and, I believe, are an argument for the truth and strength of the Christian faith. They tell us that essential Christianity is all about love. Loving God for sure but also loving our neighbor. Not just loving our family and friends. Not just loving good people. The second commandment referred to here is to love our neighbor. Even if that neighbor would like to see us dead in some jihad. Even if that neighbor hates us. We are to be the kind of people who love.

What is astounding is that Christianity continues to proliferate around the world in spite of the fact that at least one of the other world religions, and the one growing super fast, does so at the end of a sword. Wherever they take control, the religion becomes entwined with the state and therefore mandated by all who live there.

We are told that there is a problem with illegal aliens these days. Men, women and children swarming across our southern border to take up residence here in the United States. Why? Why are there so many people who want to live here? Why are we the only nation on the face of the earth with a waiting line to get in legally? Because, at the end of the day, no matter what other faults we have, these verses have taken root in our collective soul. We never thought to put up a wall to keep people out because we wanted to be an open and free society. We are coming apart at the seams to decide how we can follow the teachings of Jesus on this point and still maintain our immigration policy. And, on top of that, it also is causing us to wonder how we should deal with those illegal immigrants who are within our borders now. This will not be an easy situation to fix because the arguments will involve how to love these neighbors and still maintain our immigration laws.

I don't know what the solution to that one is. If I did I would run for office. I do know this: Christianity is all about love. If you live and breathe you get loved. This teaching, according to Jesus, is the very essence of Christianity. It is essential Christianity. It is the most attractive thing about our faith and one that makes me glad to be a Christian. I have admitted to having difficulty with some aspects of our faith. I am imperfect and wrestle with some issues. However when all the dust settles, my heart is gladdened by the fact that we are called to love God and our neighbor. Our neighbor has no reason to fear us. Our neighbor will get loved even if he or she doesn't love, or ever like us.

How does that make you feel? What thoughts does this bring to your mind? Let me know if you have the time. I am very interested. Do you feel loved today? You are! God loves you and so do I. These devotionals are my little way of letting you know that. You are in my thoughts as I write them and it is for your personal, spiritual growth that I send them to you for free. I know that God loves me and it warms me to pass that love along.

May He bless you today.

Theo

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