Listen

The commandments, Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.

Romans 13:9-10

Think

Wouldn’t it be great if we only needed one law? When Jesus tells us “Love your neighbor as yourself,” that seems like it should cover everything. But, of course, humans are not the greatest at loving their neighbors. This is why God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses: They serve as an explicit reminder not to do any of the worst stuff.

But it would be a mistake to think that just because we’re following the Ten Commandments—not blaspheming, killing, or stealing—we’re fulfilling the beautiful will of God. St. Paul reminds the Romans that love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor, whether large or small. As Christians, we are called to live into the highest possible moral standard: valuing other people’s lives, dreams, and hopes as much as we value our own. When we fall short, as all of us do, God invites us to repent and turn back toward love.

Catherine Healy

Question to Ponder:

What is the hardest part of loving your neighbor as yourself?

Pray

Mighty God, I struggle every day to value other people as much as I value myself. Give me a heart for others, and help me see the world through their eyes, so that I can live a life of love. Amen.

Go

“Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.”

– Misty Copeland, American ballet dancer