LOVING THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT THAN US

       "Matthew the tax collector; Thomas the Doubter; Peter the Rock; Judas the Traitor; Mary Magdalene, Martha, the popcorn-eating old woman... and the man in the pick-up. They're all our family, and you and I are their family, and we're all each other's family, because that is what Jesus has called us to be. Our happiness is all mixed up with each other's happiness and our peace with each other's peace. Our own happiness, our own peace, can never be complete until we find some way of sharing it with people who...have no happiness and know no peace. Jesus calls us to show this truth forth. Be the light of the world (especially where there are dark places). Be the salt of the earth. Bring out the true flavor of what it is to be truly alive. Be life-givers to others." This is what loving each other means.... Frederick Buechner
     "People are often unreasonable...and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you're kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you're honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. Give the best you have and it will never be enough. Give it anyway... because it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway." Mother Teresa.
      Today we're focusing on what it means to love God with all of our hearts... and to love our neighbors as ourselves... but I suspect that they're the same thing because we can't love God without loving our neighbors. We can't see God unless we see the image of God in one another. We can't embrace God unless we embrace the lonely, hungry, sick, and forgotten people in our own world. We can't love "people" and despise individual people. We can't feed people unless we go to their tables or serve them in the food bank, We can't take a drink to a man who is dying in the desert without going into the desert and lifting his head up. In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus gives us a look at what it takes to get into his Kingdom. According to Matthew, the people of the world will gather around Jesus on the final day... and he will welcome those who ministered to him on earth into his Kingdom. Those who saw him naked and clothed him, who saw him hungry and fed him, who saw him down and gave him a helping hand, who saw him alone and visited him, who saw that he was being treated unjustly and stood by his side, who saw that he was brokenhearted and cried with him... will be welcomed in the Kingdom because they loved him... by loving those whom He loved!
      According to Mark, a teacher of the law approached Jesus and asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Is it one of those that affect my behavior in the marketplace (like keeping my thumb off of the scale)... or is it one of the commandments that focus on my neighbor (like respecting his property line and not coveting what he has)? Is it more important for me to avoid swearing in the Lord's name, or to share some of my wealth with the poor? We have many commandments, teacher- love God, love our moms and dads, keep the Sabbath holy, don't lie, don't pervert justice, don't seek revenge, don't withhold a worker's wages, honor those who are old and wise, don't indulge in familiarities (such as kissing, hugging, winking, and skipping) with our relatives, don't wear clothing that is intended for the opposite sex...and more than 600 more laws... so which one is the most important? And Jesus answered by citing Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "This is the most important: you shall love the Lord your God... with all your heart... soul... mind... and strength," and Leviticus (19:18): "love your neighbor as yourself.' According to Mark's gospel, Jesus concluded by saying, "There are no commandments greater than these," (Mark 12:31) and according to Matthew (22:40), Jesus also noted that, "All of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments!"
     All of the Law and all of the prophets... hang on these two commandments because it's all based on love! God's word, God's law, Jesus' life, his coming to earth, Calvary's cross, our purpose... are all based on love! Get a hold of this and you can throw your scorecards away... because love demands generosity, faithfulness, and forgiveness. I'm not an expert on loving God or neighbor. I struggle to be my best self every day... but I have learned this much over the years:
1. You can't love God or your neighbors unless you love yourself. You may need God and somebody to love you... but you will never be able to love them in a deep and real way unless you see that you are created in God's image and that you are loved and accepted... as you are!
2. Biblically speaking, love is an action word that has little to do with feeling tingly inside! Of course, people had feelings for one another in Jesus' day, but at its heart, the word "love" was about faithfulness, commitment, and service. When Jesus gave his first sermon, he pointed out that he had been called to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, feed the hungry, and preach good news to the poor. If you read the 19th chapter of Leviticus you will see that loving your neighbor is all about treating others in ways that are just, merciful, and kind!
3. God is not finished with us yet. If you can't love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength... love him with all that you have! And if you have trouble loving your neighbor as yourself, work at really SEEING your neighbor. Look deeper than skin color, beyond their hair style or the clothes they have on. Look into their eyes and listen to their stories. Look until you see God's image, listen until you hear God's voice. Look for Christ in the popcorn-eating old woman and in those who are caught up in their pain. And if they don't respond, keep looking for Christ anyway.
4. Nurture yourself with prayer, study, community, and service. Loving God will involve a bit of effort and discipline, just as it does to love your spouse. You will love God more completely and more freely... as you invest in your relationship with Him and listen to His voice... through Scripture, prayer, community, and your own journey!
5. Our neighbors are everywhere! They're not just Presbyterians, not just white people, or people who mow their yards and comb their hair. Our neighbors are a much bigger group than we're accustomed to- some of them are wounded deeply, some of them are burdened with pain and doubt, some of them won't trust us, some of them won't like us. We're too old for some of them, too staid for a lot of them, too religious for a few of them, and too wealthy for others. Some of our neighbors don't speak our language. Some don't like our music and don't find us as charming as we think we are... BUT they are our neighbors... and we're commanded to give them the same understanding, the same amount of "slack" and just as many excuses as we give ourselves. Amen!