“We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.”

“We become neighbors when we are willing to cross the road for one another. (...) There is a lot of road crossing to do. We are all very busy in our own circles. We have our own people to go to and our own affairs to take care of. But if we could cross the road once in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we might indeed become neighbors.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Excerpt from the book “Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith”

Gospel Text: (MK 12:28-34)

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."

The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.

You are right in saying,

He is One and there is no other than he.

And to love him with all your heart,

with all your understanding,

with all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself

is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,

he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

This gospel encounter serves to illustrate for us very clearly the vision that Jesus lived by and taught. He names love of God, neighbors and self as the primary command by which one should live. And it is a teaching which reflects his own values, attitudes and way of life and may well be seen by us as the ‘way’ or path for us to follow now and always so that we might enter into the life found within God’s reign.