The Greatest Love

Have we relinquished our responsibility to uphold the greatest commandment? I’m not talking about any old commandment, I’m talking about the ‘Greatest’! Each of the synoptic Gospels have more than one account of someone asking Jesus the all important question, ‘what is the greatest commandment?’ Whether in whatever context the question is asked, the answer is blatantly untamed and unforgettable. ‘Love God with all your heart, soul and mind & love your neighbour as yourself.’ Jesus dares to suggest that not only is this the greatest command but that it defines all others. If every single thing we did was motivated by the greatest commandment to love God and others, we would be living exactly as God intended in a state of shalom. But the reality shows that we are far from shalom in our world, so what has gone wrong, what’s wrong with living the greatest commandment?
In case you haven’t noticed the APEC Summit is being held in Sydney. The media frenzy seems to surround and follow the leader of the ‘greatest’ nation and hang on his every word. Among many things I continue to hear this reverberating echo of propaganda that perpetuates the fear that has captivated us since 2001. The answers from the greatest leaders of our day is war, tighter security, dominance, more power and more fear. Whatever happened to the greatest commandment as a strategy from our great leaders?
I turn my attention towards a popular singer who by the way seems to have more swing with the general public than any politician. Bono from U2 sings one of his songs with the late Luciano Pavarotti called “Miss Sarajevo”. When introducing the song Bono says, ‘We would like to turn our song into a prayer, and the prayer is, that we don’t become a monster in order to defeat a monster.”
Bono sings the words:
“Is there a time for changing values, is there a time for wearing a blind?
Is there a time for keeping your mouth shut, is this a time for human rights?”
While behind him the words of the UN declaration begin scrolling behind him starting with article 1; ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a Spirit of love’.
The translation of Pavarotti’s piece in the song reads;
“You say that the river finds the way to the sea, and as the river you'll come to me Beyond the borders and the thirsty lands, you say that as river Love will come And I cannot pray anymore, and I cannot hope in love anymore
And I cannot wait for love anymore”
Have we relinquished our responsibility to love? Have we given up because it’s too hard? The greatest commandment is far from being the greatest in today’s climate. Yet I believe that the love Jesus speaks of can still be the greatest. While there are still millions of people in our world who claim to be followers of Jesus, I would hope that a large percentage would seek to take him seriously at his words and actions. You can by loving one person at a time.
Shalom Mark

"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt; sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth." – Mark Twain