From Mark:
Hear, O Israel!
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
In this, I usually focus on the commandment to love thy neighbor, over the one the one to love God with all my might. It's worth thinking about, especially now in my spiritual malaise. Though I haven't turned away from God intentionally, through my actions (inaction, really) that's what I've done. When you love someone, you attend to them. And I haven't done that recently.
I have spent time in prayer for friends, offering up my thoughts and pleas for healing of the sick and comfort for the suffering. But that's been the extent of my communication with God. It's taking away from my ability to be my best self. Again and again, I have to remind myself that I'm at my best when I turn to God not just for help, but in thanksgiving and even simply in companionship. I bring much more goodness to the world with God as a guide.
Lord, help me to stay close to you. Help me to walk with you. And thank you for listening.
