This Sunday at 10 am, we come together to celebrate the two greatest commandments of God, the two that sum up the more expansive Ten Commandments, the 697 laws of the Talmud, and the countless rules and regulations that have been added by humankind since.
These two commandments are pretty simple: “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, and all your mind, and all your soul,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” They are so simple, in fact, that a child can understand them. In the Old Testament lesson, the people are told, “Impress these laws on your children.”
Do we teach our children these two things? In these days when bombs are being sent through the mail to political figures and celebrities, and a Jewish congregation in Pittsburgh is being gunned down by a madman, and blame is being thrown at the media and both political parties, and everyone seems intent on advancing their own agendas on the bodies of innocent people, how we be sure what we are teaching our children?
Our children learn what they see and hear. They watch and listen to adults and draw their own conclusions. Make no mistake about it. Children are smart.
Look at that second commandment…”Love your neighbor as yourself.” It doesn’t say, “Except for…”. There are no exceptions. Our neighbors, our co-workers, fire fighters and letter carriers and distant relatives…love them. Insurance agents, retail clerks, waiters and waitresses…love them. People who look like you, people who don’t…love them. Christians and Muslims and Jews and atheists and the uncommitted…love them. Republicans and Democrats and independents…love them, too. Neo-Nazis and white supremecists and liberal tree-huggers…love them. Caravans of people fleeing violence and poverty for a better life in America…love them. Get the idea? There are no exceptions. And the dirtiest, smelliest, most objectionable, useless parasites on society…love them most of all. They need it the most. Even the bomb-mailers and mad gunmen and hate groups…they are our neighbors, too. In some cases, we created them.
Teach your children well. What if we could shut down the hate and craziness in one generation.
Galilee Lutheran Church loves God with all we’ve got, and also loves all of God’s children…no exceptions…at 8860 Soda Bay Road in the Kelseyville Rivieras.
