Jesus makes it all sound so easy. The first commandment as Jesus tells the law scholar: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” OK. That is simple, but Jesus asks much. Love God with your heart and soul and mind.
The second commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. Again, simple. Until we try to live our lives. We can love our neighbor as ourselves, but does that count the neighbor who annoys us? The family member who is constantly ignoring what we ask? The colleague who can’t seem to stop talking in an already overlong meeting? Those we don’t agree with? Can we still love our neighbors even if we don’t like them very much?
Jesus would say yes to all of the above. Will we sometimes be irritated by those neighbors, colleagues, family members? Yes. We live in a world where paths cross, where what we want and like and see as the right direction may not be the wants and likes and direction of others. We can love the person and not particularly care for how the person reacts in the moment.
Saint Ignatius asks us to find God in all things. All things. Not just the people who agree with us or situations we control. We are all made in the image and likeness of God. That finding God in all things can be so difficult in a world filled with pain and suffering and so little peace. That makes it even more important that in our own corner and in our own way, we take a deep breath. We let our irritation slip away. We pray for peace here and now and everywhere.
Carol Zuegner
Writing and reading the Daily Reflections helps me connect with my faith.
