Love God, Love People

Love God and love people. That’s what it comes down to.

Jesus threw those extra couple commandments out there not necessarily to trump anything that had come before, but to say, “Hey. Love. That’s what’s most important.”

Love never fails.

The devil has been working overtime lately to distract us from what’s important. Good grief, it’s like a Pharisees versus heretics versus insert-your-favorite-label-here extravaganza out there these days.

I like to kind of chill in December and refocus on what’s important … as much as possible, anyway. Typically I’m pretty busy in October / November with some love God / love people secret elfin missions, so my own holiday preparations get to wait until closer to Christmas. Decorating, shopping, baking, hanging with the inner circle, prepping for the new year … all good stuff that I like to do. And often I’ll end up eliminating several items on my wish list of activities – because they turn out to be not that important.

As I write this, I’m a little distracted because I’m prepping for routine allergy testing first of the week. That means no antihistamines for several days so the doc can get a true read. It’s been 72 hours since my last Zyrtec, and every cell in my body itches right now. The palms of my hands. The inside of my mouth. My eyeballs. My teeth. My Teeth Itch.

Soon I think I may start seeing sounds. Should be an interesting worship service in the morning. Maybe I should take a sketchbook with me and draw pictures of the music when I have a few minutes in the green room.

It probably doesn’t help matters that we’re experiencing torrential rain this weekend. Did I mention I’m allergic to mold? Discovered that one when I lived in Louisiana. Or Wheeze-iana as I like to call it.

Okay, enough whining about me and the color of an F#m7 chord.

Love God and love people.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

~ John 14:15 (NASB)

By the way, on the subject of current events … I have taught on 1 Corinthians 6. I recommend going King James with it. J After you read it, before you open your mouth, maybe contemplate this one, too …

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

~ Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)

So think of it like this. Love is the Christmas tree. Everything else hangs on it.

It doesn’t go away, it hangs on it.

And without the tree to hold it all together, you have a pile of ornaments.

Love God and love people.