A man asked Jesus what was the greatest command. Jesus answered to love God and to love one’s neighbor. A large part of scripture goes on to illuminate and analyze love, neighbors and our behavior with others.
Real love is alien to this world. It cuts across our flesh, our desires and our pursuits. It takes us out of our routines. People love their routines more than they do other people. They feed their comforts, reinforce their view of the world and protect themselves from pain. I know this, because at the time I was thinking about this, someone challenged one of my routines, and, although it is something good, maybe there were reasons -- and listed a few -- that I should change this routine. Part of me (the selfish, want my way part) reacted quite strongly.
To really love people is to embrace otherworldly objectives and to deny what the self wants most. To love at any level is sacrifice; and the self flees sacrifice like the plague. The self rationalizes away, hides from and ignores the sacrifice of love. The self lies to itself.
There are things that provide a basis, a foundation, for love that need to be cultivated. I cannot love if I do not sleep. I cannot love if I do not eat. I cannot love if I do not strengthen my relationship with the Definition and Source of love – so I need my time of prayer and meditation. But all these things can be excuses not to love.
The challenge lies in cultivating the foundation, completing the life maintenance tasks and taking steps of love. God has created us to do all these things, and not to close ourselves to just one of them. The challenge lies in living with sensitivity to the Spirit, circumstances and people so we can act in the right sphere, at the right time.
Real love is alien to this world. It cuts across our flesh, our desires and our pursuits. It takes us out of our routines. People love their routines more than they do other people. They feed their comforts, reinforce their view of the world and protect themselves from pain. I know this, because at the time I was thinking about this, someone challenged one of my routines, and, although it is something good, maybe there were reasons -- and listed a few -- that I should change this routine. Part of me (the selfish, want my way part) reacted quite strongly.
To really love people is to embrace otherworldly objectives and to deny what the self wants most. To love at any level is sacrifice; and the self flees sacrifice like the plague. The self rationalizes away, hides from and ignores the sacrifice of love. The self lies to itself.
There are things that provide a basis, a foundation, for love that need to be cultivated. I cannot love if I do not sleep. I cannot love if I do not eat. I cannot love if I do not strengthen my relationship with the Definition and Source of love – so I need my time of prayer and meditation. But all these things can be excuses not to love.
The challenge lies in cultivating the foundation, completing the life maintenance tasks and taking steps of love. God has created us to do all these things, and not to close ourselves to just one of them. The challenge lies in living with sensitivity to the Spirit, circumstances and people so we can act in the right sphere, at the right time.
What this will mean for my "routine" -- which involves part of how I conduct my prayer, reading, and meditation time with God -- I don't know. I would be less than honest if I said I liked the thought of changing. I would be less than honest if I did not examine the possibility of needing to change.
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