Love God and Neighbor

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40

Yesterday was a challenging day at General Convention. I took some major heat as did some others I am close to. It is easy to be hurt by this and easy to want to retaliate. But God desires another way for us, loving others despite it all. So I am offering a song that was running through my head all day yesterday that kept me at peace that we are doing God's work here.


Anyway - from Zero Church, 2001

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway

Maggie and Suzzy Roach were told that this prayer was written by Mother Teresa and inscribed on the wall of her orphanage in Calcutta. However, Sister M. Nirmala M.C. at the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta wrote and said that she did not write this prayer. Another source said that this poem was found by Mother Teresa's bedside when she died, written in her own handwriting. It remains a mystery.

Prayer for General Convention Prayer 3

O Creator and Lover of all, may we make love our primary work. May every breath be a prayer for love, forgiveness and compassion. May we not use our voices for anything but praise and compassion. May we give our best, honest and forgiving, no matter what we face today. In agreement and contention, may we look and listen with the heart of God. And may the world see the heart of God in the way we care for one another. For the sake of Christ's reign here on earth. Amen.