One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself,” this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Mark 12: 28-34

Love is more than an attribute of God; love is God’s very nature.

When we respond to God’s love for us we will love God by loving other people.

With all the emphasis on Elvis this week, perhaps I should start with his great hit, Love Me Tender, Love Me Sweet, never let me go….(and then again, maybe not)

This past week I found the following quote by Henri-Frederic Amiel (Swiss writer who lived in the 1800s), on a half-sheet of paper in my office. I don’t remember ever seeing it before. I’m not sure if it fell out of a book or what….It was like a little surprise gift:

“Life is short and we have not too much time

For gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark way with us.

Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.”

It is of similar nature to Philo of Alexandria’s statement,

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself!”

Love is more than an attribute of God; love is God’s very nature.

When we respond to God’s love for us we will love God by loving other people in word, in attitude and in deeds.

I was struck by the point that Dr. Pheme Perkins, Professor of New Testament at Boston College, makes about the exchange between Jesus and the scribe in this morning’s Gospel reading.

Even though the exchange occurs in the middle of a dispute between Jesus and the leaders of the religious establishment, Jesus and the scribe are able to transcend the conflict and cross the dividing line of hostility to common ground.

Because they join together in the conviction that loving God and neighbor is more important than religious ritual and tradition, they are able to treat each other as neighbors. Both the scribe and Jesus have stepped away from the US versus THEM categories. Their mutual affirmation is an island of reconciliation in a sea of hostility.

The scribe recognizes Jesus as the great teacher; Jesus recognizes the scribe as a pilgrim moving toward the kingdom. Their lived-out common devotion to God and neighbor silences the debate.” (See The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 8).

We are all pilgrims moving toward God’s reign of love, grace and compassion.

Stephen Covey tells the following story in his book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People:”

“One Sunday morning I was riding on a subway in New York.  People were sitting quietly; some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, and some resting with their eyes closed.  It was a calm, peaceful scene.  Then suddenly a man and his children entered the subway car.  The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed.

The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation.  The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people's papers.  It was very disturbing and yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.  It was difficult not to feel irritated.  I could not believe that he was so insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. 

It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too.  So finally, with what I felt was unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, "Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people.  I wonder if you could control them a little more? "

The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and softly said, "Oh, you're right.  I guess I should do something about it.  We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago.  I don't know what to think, and I guess they don't know how to handle it either."

Covey goes on to say, “Suddenly, I saw things differently, and because I saw differently, I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently.  My irritation vanished.  I didn't have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man's pain.  Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely… 

If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Responding to God’s love for us in Christ makes it possible for us to love others. We will see other people differently. We will seek to understand others, as we would like to be understood.

The apostle Paul tells the early church, “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” 1             

Summaries of the Law that emphasize the duty to love God and neighbor were not unique to Jesus. Many faith traditions emphasize compassion and love for all living beings.

The Christian faith emphasizes the unique manifestation of God in Jesus Christ, the Incarnation…and that Christ now lives through his followers bringing the message of love, hope and reconciliation to the world.

Loving God and loving our neighbors will always be challenging.

Following the tragic shooting of the five Amish schoolgirls in Lancaster county, PA in October of 2006, Christian Century followed up with some details about the grieving Amish families who attended the October 7th burial of the 32-year old non-Amish killer, Charles Carl Robert, IV.  Of the 75 people who attended the service, at least half were Amish.  The author raised the question, “Was it a genuine gesture, or just a gimmick?”  The author’s conclusion: a genuine gesture.  The Amish greeted Roberts’ wife and three children.  Plans were set to continue the conversation between the families.  And forgiveness was more than a graveside presence: the Amish helped establish a fund for the assassin’s family.

The Amish practiced their faith…loving their neighbor…their enemy.

That article went on to say:  “Make no mistake: many tears were shed in Amish homes and barns.  Death sears the hearts of Amish parents as any others.  But they have an enormous capacity to absorb adversity…” They have a willingness to yield to God…basing their model on Jesus who extended forgiveness to his tormentors, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”2

We have many opportunities before us to love our neighbor. In the almost 6six months since I’ve been the interim, I’ve seen many examples of love in action here at RHPC.

It’s not easy to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength…it’s not easy to love our neighbor as we love ourselves…and it’s certainly not easy to love our enemies…..

But with God’s grace and mercy flowing through us, it is possible! Amen.

1 Galatians 5:14

2 Donald Kraybill, “Forgiveness Clause,” October 31, 2006, Christian Century.