Christianity and God have become loaded words in our modern society. Often, these words reflect our individual beliefs and agendas, rather than the meaningful, higher, and mysterious way of being like Christ in our world. Some use these words to condemn, others use them to market products, and others to sway groups of people. It’s as if our modern world has recreated Christ and His message into something new that fits more comfortably into our own self-interests.
The truth is, we are all guilty of making the Gospel of Jesus Christ into our own personal Good News at the expense of our rival or enemy. What is needed is for all of us to reclaim the essence of the life of faith without dirtying the waters by assuming that God is for us and utterly against them. When we take Jesus’ message into the world and muddy the message to align with our own self-interests, fears, and worldly agendas we have missed the mark. So how would it look if the Gospel message of Jesus became the lens and guiding path that clarifies how we think of God, Christianity, faith, and our purpose in living day-by-day?
In Mark 12, one of the teachers of the Torah, who himself was guilty of muddying the waters in self-interest, asked Jesus - What is the most important commandment? In other words, what should be on the forefront of our life, conversations, and beliefs? Rather than listing just one commandment, or one authoritative way to be in the world, Jesus provides two commandments that are distinguishable, and yet, entirely inseparable. Jesus' response goes like this: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your strength’ The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” In this interaction we receive two distinct commands about two different planes of existence, that are somehow inseparable when Christ is speaking. In Christ's words we find both a lens for viewing our world and a distinct path to join, despite the clamoring of outside voices.
The first commandment provides a lens for viewing our world. The insight here is of a sovereign God, who is to be acknowledged, loved and respected in our daily living. The second commandment relates to the humans on our path, the ones in the midst of our daily toil. The way Christ speaks, these commandments are distinct and yet impossible to separate. There is an awareness of God, and an awareness of the ones created in His image. One commandment provides a spiritual lens and the other a physical path, and yet both concern the whole experience of being a human.
The first commandment is considered the central message of Jewish life, which is called the Shema. The second commandment concerns living with flawed and broken human beings that we encounter every day. We live Jesus’ words by having an awareness of God in all that we do, hence the Shema. I have found that moving on the path of loving our neighbor can be more difficult. I recommend we touch our own heart as we listen and love that person on the other side of the aisle, the political spectrum, the economic divide, and the cultural ideology. When you touch your own heart may you be reminded that the other human is of the same life force as you. They were created in the same divine image as you. Their life was paid for, on the cross, the same as you. We recognize that just as we have passions, priorities, and fears, so do those outside of ourselves. So, take a moment to touch your heart daily. Touch your heart before speaking or posting or attacking. At the end of our actions and words is another beating heart created by a God who loves all of us. It takes practice and compassion to exist in this modern world without fear, anger, hatred, or divide; especially if others’ beliefs compete with our own. You will never truly lose the argument if you hold fast to the lens and path of Christ, just look toward the heavens and touch your heart.