Keep it Real Simple: Love God and Love People!

 

Danny Gokey - Love God Love People ft. Michael W. Smith

I love this song by Danny Gokey! It is so true. If we could all learn to love our God and also love all people the world would be a better place for all of us and the future. Some of the words to this song are as follows:

"...We’re living in a world that keeps breaking

But if we want to find a way to change it

It all comes down to this

Love God and love people

It's really so simple

Love God and love people

So keep on loving

It's all about love

It's how we change the world

Love God and love people"

This song has a powerful message and boils it down to something really simple. One of my favorite passages comes from the Book of Common Prayer; the passage is used in most Episcopal Churches as follows: 

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thy shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophet.”  Matthew 22: 37-40.

This idea is so profound, that we as humans need to learn to love our neighbors as ourselves. What a wonderful concept and I am sure an even better world it would be if we could all love one another as ourselves.  The Catholic Church also has a prayer called the “Act of Love,” which is similar and should also be part of all humans’ mission statement in life as follows:

“O my God, I love You above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because You are all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me and ask pardon of all who I have injured.”

The idea of loving God, ourselves, and our neighbors, forgiving each other’s offenses is so beautiful; it is what our God wants us to do.  They likely are the most basic rules and most important commandments one could live by in life. Is it really that simple?  What a wonderful world it would be if we could all live by this example.  We need to pave our way to a new humanity, to unite, and care enough to do what is right for all humanity.  It all comes back to what Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” This is likely the most important lesson God wants us to learn and practice in life, a life of living well. So, from this can we all be lights for others and instruments of peace? Could this be God's greatest miracle for all of us?