Most
of us were brought up with the understanding that we must love our
neighbour. That is very much part of what it means to be
Christian. We respect the people around us, even if we don’t like
them. We respect them because we believe that we are all children of
God, created by the one God, no matter what our race, colour or
religion.
We also know
that sometimes it can be very difficult to love the people around us.
It is much easier to give to charities, supporting people in other
countries, than to show respect to the people living next door, or
even in the same house, or work place.
However, there
is something else that comes first. That is, the love of God. It is
no accident that Jesus put this first, or that it comes first in the
commandments. Love God above all else, with all your heart and soul,
with all your strength and then love your neighbour as
yourself.
Why
is this so important? because it is very difficult to love the people
around us, especially the ones we find difficult, unless we love God
first. It is our love of God, as our faith begins to grow, that gives
us the strength to love others. The more we are filled with the love
of God, the more sensitive we become to the world around us. It is
then we begin to notice people in trouble and people in need. God’s
Spirit within us that shows us these things and helps us to see
others as people with needs, rather than just Christians, or Muslims,
Mexicans or Irish. First they are people; human beings with the same
needs and desires as anyone else. It is the love of God within us
that shows us this and that gives us the desire to help them.
How
do I love God? By keeping his commandments. If you love anyone you
show your love by trying to please them and by trying to do what they
ask. It is the exact same with God. There is no point in saying that
I love God if I’m not prepared to keep his commandments. There is
no point in sleeping with your boy friend or girl friend, and then
saying that I love God. God asks us not to do this. Who am I kidding?
We cannot justify stealing, or not paying taxes and then praying to
God to help us. If we hope for God’s blessing and help, or to grow
in our spirit, we must try to live his commandments. They are
commandments, not suggestions and this means sacrifices. It means
that we will be different from others who don’t believe in God. And
this is how it has been throughout the centuries. Christians have
always been different. If I want to call myself a Christian I have to
try to live as a Christian. Otherwise it means nothing.
All of us will
all have to give an account of ourselves to God when we die. And we
will be on your own then. We won’t have friends or politicians
standing behind us to cheer us on. We will not have any earthly
status either. It will just be each of us before God. Does that mean
we need to be afraid? Not if we try. If we sin, or fall, or do what
is wrong, we should never be afraid to ask forgiveness. God promises
forgiveness, if we turn to him and repent. But I’m talking about
persisting in some way of life that is contrary to the laws of God.
We must be careful that we’re not rewriting the commandments for
ourselves. God doesn’t ask for 100% success, only effort.
St.
Augustine has a lovely saying which sums it up. He says, ‘Love God
and do what you like.’ If we really love God, we will try and do
what He asks. While trying to live as God asks can seem like a burden
initially, the reality is the opposite. Living by the teachings of
Christ brings a great freedom and happiness, because your spirit
knows that you’re on the right track and that takes away fear. Once
we begin to come closer to God this way, then we begin to be filled
with a love for him that gives us the strength to look out for the
people around us.
I
know many people I would term ‘people of faith’, who really try
to live what they believe, and they are always keen to help people
around them who are in need. It comes quite naturally to them,
because of their love of God and I’m sure there are many of you
here too. If we focus on growing closer to God, looking after our
neighbour comes quite naturally. The same goes for a lot of the moral
teachings of the Church, which people love to argue about so much. If
we start arguing about these problems before we have faith, they will
just remain an obstacle between us and God. But if we grow in faith
first, these things naturally fall into place.
Hear O Israel,
The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord
your God with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength.
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
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