Ordinary Time

Pause

Hear what Jesus says:

Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great law.

And the second is similar: Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Listen

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

You must have no other gods before me.

Do not make an idol for yourself—no form whatsoever—of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

Exodus 20:1-4

Think

You shall have no other gods before me.

Our 21st century world doesn’t have temples to Baal, Asherah, and Marduk on each street. These gods were popular in the Ancient Near East and frequently named as the false gods the Israelites turned to instead of God Almighty, to dire consequences. We, however, have our other gods, the things to which we devote our time, talent, and treasure at the cost of our relationship to God and to each other.

How much time do we spend on social media, and what does that time look like compared to our time in prayer? Do we stay busy, over-scheduled, and rushed, forgetting to be still and know God is God? When we look at how we spend our money, where do we spend the most? How much of our money goes to the work of loving and caring for the least of these?

God knows how easily we worship other gods, other things we place before our relationship with God. God placed this commandment first, so we might remember to place God first.

Laurie Brock

Pray

Holy God, in a world with people, places, and things that seduce me with promises of success, security, and affirmation, help me follow only you in my thoughts, words, and deeds. May I seek success in loving my neighbor and my enemy, security in your courageous grace, and affirmation that your love gives all humanity worth. Amen.

Go

We are Christ’s presence of love in the world.

How will you share this love with those you meet today in what you think, in what you say, and in what you do?