Mark 12:28-34
Jesus gets right to the point today and there is no way around it. Love God. Love others. Love yourself. It is that easy. When we talk about the Divine dwelling in all of us we quickly recognize that when we follow this formula all else seems to fall in line.
Take your thoughts, words, and actions and direct them at God. So, when we are upset with someone and want to be mean to them, say what we are thinking to Jesus. The nasty words or actions that are in our mind, we say and do to the Christ. Jesus came and experienced the human condition and He found out pretty quickly humans can be very nasty.
Everything becomes part of a big picture. There is no longer "ME" at the center of the universe. If I hide the key to the choir loft because I don't like the person playing the organ I am stealing their joy. I am robbing them of their gift to God. I may not like the persons' behaviors or ability to play the organ, but it's not about me, now is it? It is about God and others then me. Let their relationship go how and where it may. In other words we are not the enforcers of what we think either individually or collectively defines justice.
Here is a tip. I look at a picture of Jesus for a really long time. I'm going to tell Him that I'm going to steal the key to the choir loft. What will He say? How will He respond? Or I'll tell Him I think He is a real jerk for taking "my" seat in the common room so I punch Him or spread the story to gain support and make Him look like the bad guy. I'll take His food when He is out. Now, He is black and I'll tell Him I don't like black people, or gay people, or Muslim, or Jewish, or or or . . . When I see the Christ, bloodied, beaten, and hanging on the cross, will I go by and spit on Him, too? Will I take a rock and throw it at Him? Why not? He is vulnerable and I don't like Him.
The formula we have today takes us to the heart of being a human. Be Christ for every person. It's not about me.
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