Rev. Brian Johnson
Scripture: Matthew 22:34-40
This may sound like a truth we can get down with. Jesus instructs us to love God and your neighbor. That makes sense, right? It does until we read that we can’t do it halfway. You are called to love with All your heart, all your being, all your mind. The completeness of love is a complexity that has many layers, which only grows when we hear Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as you love yourself. There is a challenge in the midst of Jesus’ words: how deeply rooted are you to Christ? This question is asked not in a judgmental or accosting way, but in an inviting and welcoming way. Jesus doesn’t want to be in a box that you pull out for special occasions or once and a while; he wants to be loved every moment of every day. And he wants you to love your neighbor every moment of every day. This message invites us to see ourselves with God’s eyes so that we might better see the world with God’s eyes too.
This Week: Reach out to a neighbor – especially one who you don’t know – and do something kind for them.
Take an inventory of your neighborhood – how many of the people do you know by name? If it’s not many, go find a way to meet some of the ones who you don’t know.