Love changes things……more on love! My previous post was about how love can move mountains. In it I talked about what relational love and acknowledgment of God’s love can do for our souls. However, I failed to mention how love of neighbor, the topic of today’s Gospel, can change the world. In fact, one thing (love of God) leads to the other (love of neighbor).
I want to share a meditation I read today in The Word Among Us. It sums up today’s Gospel perfectly.
Meditation of Matthew 22:34-40
Songwriters have long proclaimed that what the world needs is love. But that lofty sentiment is a little vague on what love looks like or what it means to love someone. By contrast, Jesus had the weight of a thousand-plus years of revelation from God backing him up when he told some Pharisees that the greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor. The commandments themselves explain what love is and what it looks like.
So what does love look like? Here is one way to approach it.
Look at how God loves. He delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, and delivers each one of us out of the grip of our enemies -enemies like the pain of failed or abusive relationships, physical or emotional suffering, bitterness and resentment.
But how do we love God? By proclaiming that he – not forms of escape like alcohol, drugs, or pornography – is strong enough to deliver and restore us. We love him as we trust that God is just as willing to bring us out of patterns of sin or indifference as he was to bring the chosen people out of Egypt.
Let the knowledge of this love fill your heart. Let it move you to tell him about your love in return. Set aside the phone, computer, laundry or bills to pray and give thanks for all the ways God has shown his love to you. As you praise him for his kindness and goodness, you are opening yourself to receive even more of his love.
And how do we love our neighbors? As God’s love fills us, it will also flow out of us. It will expand our hearts and increase our capacity to love more humbly and more fully.
More than just performing acts of service, you love your neighbors by honoring and respecting them. You love by restraining angry words or lustful and insulting thoughts. You look at people the way God sees them, with the same love that he showers on you.
Yes, the world does need love, and God has shown us what it looks like. So receive that love as often as you can – and give it away even more!
“Jesus, teach me how to love!”
Just imagine how the current state of the world would change if we truly loved our neighbors as Jesus commanded. Love changes things. God bless you!
Love can move mountains, literally and figuratively! So I continue to process my journey and along the way, the all-knowing, ever-present God, provides me with thoughts, words and people who continue to prod my memory just enough to reveal the lessons.
While on The Camino I reflected on God’s great love for me. It led me to share the following reflection on Tripcast:
Today I’m grateful for love! The kind of love that saves and the kind that sets free.
I am grateful for the love of Christ. The tremendous love that propelled Him to lay down His life for me. The kind of love that overflows and is infinitely merciful. A love I felt so intensely as I continued to move forward on The Way.
As my Camino journey nears its end, I reflect on how I got here. In trying to decide whether this 37 day journey was feasible for me – I was surprised to hear the words “DO IT” come out of my husband’s mouth.
As I walked everyday the first two weeks I couldn’t help but think of the deep love he had for me. A love so deep he was willing to set me free even if it hurt! Wow!
So in addition to Christ’s love, I’m so grateful for the love of my husband. A love so big and so deep he sacrificed routine/daily comforts and checked his PTSD at the doorlong enough for me to experience the journey for a lifetime! And for THAT I’m grateful!
Looking back
Pilgrims on the Camino often recall a familiar phrase: “the Camino provides.” The Camino most certainly does provide. The Camino provides companionship, it provides necessities, it provides encouragement through it’s beauty and the list goes on and on.
When I wrote that reflection on love, I was overwhelmed with emotion when I thought about the love I have been blessed to experience in my life. Just when I thought I’d reached my limit, the Camino provided something deeper.
I often tease my husband about the fact that he doesn’t remember what I tell him or that he’s clueless about the number of things I do on any given day to make his day go smoothly. My time away on the Camino changed all that.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear him acknowledge that he takes me for granted (something he never realized until then). I was even more surprised that he would remember small details of a conversation we’d had the previous day. Being away from home also made me realize just how much I take for granted as well. Our eyes and ears were opened and our hearts grew closer.
The love of Christ
One of the things I set out to do on this journey was to grow closer to God. Before this journey I often found myself overwhelmed with life, sometimes a bit anxious. I knew that these feelings were a result of my lack of trust in and surrender to God. I wanted to grow closer to Him in a way that would allow me to breathe easy knowing that He has control of my life. I’m happy to report that the Camino continues to provide.
I have a greater sense of peace now that I have returned to “normal life.” I remind myself often of the grace God provided on the journey, how He never let me go, how He carried me, how He moved mountains for me.
When I wrote about the kind of love that sets free in my original reflection, I was referring to my husband’s love for me. He never holds me back from anything I want to do. He often says “who am I to hold you back, I don’t own you.” So yes, while that relational love sets me free, the love of God sets me free in a completely different way.
I’m more dependent on God after my trip, knowing He has my best interests at heart. I’m trying not to control the outcome of anything. I am aware now more than ever that I was NEVER in control and so I’m surrendering more. I’m making a conscious effort to not desire recognition for anything. I find myself preferring anonymity. While that wasn’t the case just a few months ago, I recognize how liberating that is now!
What are your mountains?
On the Camino journey, I walked through actual mountains. At times, it felt grueling and at other times it felt invigorating. Nonetheless, those mountains are behind me now. They’ve been moved! In life, we all experience mountains as well. Figurative, of course. My personal mountains were stress, anxiety, control, fear. What are your mountains?
Looking ahead
Whatever the mountain may be, my experience has been that love can move mountains. Love is transformative. We just have to acknowledge that we are loved! Recognize it and it’s immensity.
Just yesterday, during prayer group, we discussed our favorite Psalm. My personal favorite is Psalm139 because it reminds me just how much I am valued and loved by God. He knit me in my mother’s womb. He CHOSE to create me. Everything He created is good and has a purpose. That includes me! How cool is that?
I think it’s important to remember that we are going to experience hills and valleys in life. This is true regardless of our purpose, even though He loves us and even though He created us with intention. Those hills and valleys are there to teach and transform us.
In a recent interview we had with Orange Magazine, my friend and I were asked if the struggles we experienced on The Camino changed us. Of course they did! Then my friend shared a quote that summed it all up:
“God loves us just the way we are, but too much to let us stay that way!“
Think about that the next time you start to wonder if God hears you, if God loves you or why He allows you to experience suffering. Love can move mountains! It has the power to transform us! God Bless you!
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