In the gospel last weekend, Jesus summarizes the commandments into just two; love God and love your neighbor. In the challenging world we live in, where often we can see no alternative to just melting into despair, what are we to do to live out these commands?
Here are some suggestions:
First, show you love God by praying passionately. Pray for those who are aliens and need acceptance. Pray for those who are poor and need sustenance. Pray for our neighbors in Lewiston, Maine. Pray for those innocents in harms way in the middle east, especially the children. Pray for the people of Ukraine. Pray passionately for peace.
Second, show you love your neighbor by passionately helping others. Accept them for who they are. Show your love of neighbor by helping to feed those who are hungry. Show you love your neighbor by reaching out to those who need that care. Put your love into action.
Third, and most important. Passionately live out your faith by being a person of hope. Show hope in the face of despair, show hope in the light of disappointment, show hope in spite of adversity. Our hope is based in the promise of the Resurrection, that death does not have the final word, but that our faith in Jesus can lead us to His promise of everlasting life.
Hope, shining forth from us, can be the beacon someone needs to endure in the face of depressing news and ongoing anxiety. You can be that beacon, we all can be that beacon, reflecting God’s love out to all. God’s radiant love, shining through us, can be the beacon to our community, our nation, and our world. If we are to become what we celebrate when we gather for Eucharist, as we are called to do, then we must strive to be the presence of the one who calls us to love.
May our passion lead us to love God and neighbor more, and may our love for God and neighbor lead others to want to do the same. This is the best antidote to despair.