Many years ago I had the privilege of working with Bill, a man in my congregation who also became a good friend. One day he shared with me the one event in his life which had changed him forever. When he was a little boy, he and his sister had been playing with the guns his father kept in the house, when suddenly the gun went off, killing his younger sister.
In the awful aftermath of grief and remorse that followed– for he believed that he was solely to blame for her death – he had a rebirth of his heart. And this had changed him – and therefore his life – irrevocably. At that time, Bill decided several things. No longer would he keep anyone outside his heart. No longer would he trust his intellect for wisdom. Now he would live by Love and its wisdom. He would see the face of Christ in everyone he met. He had biases, but he would challenge his ego with every thought and he would choose love and compassion no matter what and no matter who. And this is what he did.
Before long, the changes in his outer life were evident too. He went from being unemployed to having his own company with many employees. He went from living in a friend’s apartment to owning his own home. He left the dysfunctional relationship he had with his girlfriend and soon met and married a woman who also had chosen a rebirth of the heart. They now have a beautiful little boy and are respected leaders in their church and their community.
Dear friends, we don’t need a crisis like Bill had to motivate us to open our hearts. We can have a new heart if we are sincerely willing to follow the heart of Jesus’ teachings. When we really follow, we will realize that when we include everyone in God’s Love, we are also including ourselves. We will be transformed by our own open hearts. Our minds will open as well, and our lives will expand in ways that were not possible to us before. Christ Love, through us, makes all the difference.
The Heart of Christ’s Message
When Jesus was asked, “What is the heart of your teaching? Make it clear to us! What is the most important law we should obey?” (Mark 12: 28) He gave a surprising answer.
The people gathered around him and listening to him were Jews and their religion required that they obey 613 Mitzvot or Commandments. They surely must have expected that Jesus – this rabbi – this prophet – this messiah – would also give them many laws they must follow.
Instead Jesus surprised them. He began by quoting Deuteronomy 6: 4-5:
The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
And then he added,
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.— Mark 12: 29-31
In the Gospel of Luke, he’s asked to give an example of who is a neighbor, so he told the story of the Good Samaritan, deliberately choosing a Samaritan as the hero, knowing that the Samaritans were despised by the Jews. (Luke 10: 25-37)
The people he was teaching that day must’ve really gotten the point that love and compassion were something that we show – not just to our family and friends, but even to those we do not know – or who we may consider unacceptable.
Jesus did not put anyone – or any group – outside God’s Love and he challenged us to do the same. Jesus included everyone as “our neighbor.” He didn’t say “if they have the same beliefs as we do – if they are of the same faith – if they are straight – if they live in the right part of town.” He meant to challenge minds and open hearts to the Christ heart – the heart of agape – Divine Love within each of us. He knew that until his listeners were able to surrender their egos and the beliefs they’d been conditioned with, that they would not find Christ as Love within.
Living the Heart of Christ’s Message
This new year I invite you to join me in awakening your heart to Christ Love.
Love God as the Life and Creator of all that is.
Honor all forms of God’s Life as your neighbors.
Celebrate yourself and your ability to bring God’s Love to the world as Jesus did.
Be open to discover that as you love your neighbor and yourself, you are really loving God.