It’s difficult to move when we are walking on sand and gravel. Ian Peoples, SJ, reflects on the greatest commandment and how it gives us solid ground to stand on. Based on the readings for Sunday, October 25, 2020.
Have you ever tried running on sand? Or hiking with loose gravel beneath your feet? It’s not easy.
Hi, I’m Ian Peoples, and this is my One-Minute Reflection.
Most of us know what’s it’s like to walk on surfaces that aren’t sturdy. It can feel frustrating to not have the same freedom of movement and confidence in our own abilities when we are worried about the foundation we’re standing on.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the first and greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind And from this great commandment comes the second, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But why this order?
We need to put God first in our life, and everything else will follow. As Jesus said in another part of the gospels, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; because it had been built solidly on rock.”
If the love of God is our foundation, then we have firm ground upon which to go out to truly love and serve others.