January 30, 2015: Both And

Prayer:  Lord, I love you.  Send me to love my neighbor.  Amen

Reading: Mark 12:28-31

Stop and GROW:  After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers.

QUESTION 1:  What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text?
QUESTION 2:  What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story?
QUESTION 3:  What stories or memories does this text stir in me? 
QUESTION 4:  What is God up to in this text? 
 
Reflection:  If you are a daily reader of these devotions, you may recall that the devotion two weeks ago dealt with loving God and last Friday we considered loving neighbor.  Another text from this summer’s camp curriculum records Jesus combining the two commands into one.  You shall love God and you shall love your neighbor. 

I remember learning in confirmation classes (that was a long time ago!) that the first three of the Ten Commandments have to do with our relationship to God.  Commandments 4 through 10 have to do with our relationships with people—neighbors.  And I think that Jesus makes it rather clear in today’s reading that our love is not an either-or situation.  We love God in worship, devotions, prayer, meditation.  I think, however, by putting these two commands together, Jesus says that isn’t all there is to it.  You must also get involved in life today.  We must love our neighbor, too.  I would go as far as to say that loving God and loving neighbor are one in the same.  When we love our neighbor, we love our God.  We cannot love our God without also loving our neighbor.  --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff