Living in the Spirit
November 3, 2018
Scripture Reading: Mark 12:28-34
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.” –Mark 12:28-30
In my senior year in college, two of my friends and I lived off campus in a garage apartment. After getting settled, we all agreed there was one thing missing. We needed a dog and we got one. He was small and smart. With our diverse college and work schedules, he was rarely alone. Afternoons he often spent with our landlords’ children playing in the yard. My friends and I loved music thus he loved music. The neighbors enjoyed his Christmas caroling with us. He was an unconditional lover readily sharing licks and cuddling. Toward the end of the school year, I heard him barking ferociously in the front of the landlord’s house. Racing out to see what was happening, I came upon a tragic scene. The children were crying standing on the grass next to the street, a car was stopped in the street with our dog lying dead in front of one of the tires. The car owner with tears in his eyes said, “I can’t believe it. He saved these children’s lives.” The children were in the street rescuing a ball when the driver came up over a hill in heavy traffic and saw the little dog dart into the street snapping at the heels of the children forcing them back into their yard. He gave his life without a moment’s hesitation to save the kids he loved.
I am sure God loves dogs too, so I do not think God would mind if a story about a dog is used as an example of the way to share love with God since God’s son chose to give his life out of love for us. While we celebrate such unconditional love, I fear we do not give much thought to how God experiences our love of God. Spending quality time with God surely is paramount to loving God. God gets joy from seeing us share our love with one another. Since God created us, God expects us to take care of ourselves and work to fulfill our potential. God also must like it when we sing together in harmony.
Prayer: God of Grace, accept our attempts to love you as fully as we possibly can. Thank you for your saving grace and unconditional love. Amen.