One of the scribes
came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the
first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied,
"The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is
Lord alone!
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: 28-31)
Today’s Gospel is a
reminder of the great commandment. In this Gospel Jesus recalls the Shema
prayer – the prayer said daily by most Jewish people. It is a poignant reminder
or what we are called to be as Christians. We are called to love God and love
our neighbors.
How do we show love
for our God and our neighbors in these turbulent times? We are in the midst of
the Presidential election and are being bombarded by political ads that are
full of unkind rhetoric, accusations, etc. Social media is full of similar platforms
that seemingly seek to divide. In the midst of all of this the call is clear we
need to follow the great commandment. If we treat one another with kindness, we
will be a far better nation. Let us take these days to pray for peace and model
peace in all we do.