“Love God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind,” Jesus said. He was quoting a demand from Hebrew scriptures which was ancient even then.
What occurred to me is that this describes half a relationship -- our half. Humanity’s relationship to God. It’s what we are supposed to do in this life. Align our whole being -- heart, soul, mind -- with the purpose of the Higher Power.
Who is this Higher Power? Supposing we agree with Jesus' life mission to reveal a God who is totally good? This means our having no will that isn’t good as God sees it. Praying for my team to win the football game, for instance,
would be selfish, and God doesn’t bless self-serving. Praying for solutions to world hunger? As I see it, that’s aligning ourselves with God’s intent to provide his entire creation with the necessities of life.
There’s another aspect to this frame of mind that defines what our relationship to God ought to be. If God is infinite good, then to love this infinite good with all our being means participating in our highest sense of good.
As we engage with goodness outside of ourselves, we cease to have relationships with the opposite of infinite good. We are less attracted by people, media, conversations that would pull us down; we recognize and change unproductive thinking; we make better decisions, find better companions. We discover fulfillment in helping others.
We don’t have to plumb this spiritual dimension to find a job, a home, the ability to pay our bills. But life can be richer as we expand our relationships, to think beyond our wants to others’ needs, and whether we might be able to help in some way.
Zack, in the following video, whether he intends it or not, is putting his love for God into action as he shares information with his neighbors.
No comments:
Post a Comment