The Greatest Commandment

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And 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 neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. Mark 12:28-34

The Greatest Commandment

Waking up to darkened skies
clouds heavy and low with rain
smiling on a grey morning
love them all was what was said.

Walking dangerous lonely streets
skyscraper a million windowed canyons
dirt roads in the last frontier
God loves them all who venture there.

Facing open arms or shaking fists
selfish siblings or aching elders
sweet child faces or angry idle ones
loving Gos is loving them all.

We are set on fire for love
the dark cannot consume this flame
we kindle it with our compassion and care
and smother it with our selfishness.

God is remaking our broken hearts
re-knitting the hurt into tenderness
our failures and pain woven into fine silk
to adorn the love that blooms again.

Come let us not harbor our fury
but set it free so we may love
waking to more divine love each day
and more kindness for the hardest neighbor.

Come let us sink into the soft sand
and listen again to the ancient tales
God is doing an new thing within us
God is weaving love deep into our hearts.