August 20, 2009
...besides him there is no other. To love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself - this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mark 12:32-33
Today's lectionary reading from Mark reminds me - yet again, since I seem to have memory issues (what with being human and all) - about what matters. It's not about "doing" it right, it's about love.
I learned today about how being hard on myself may have served me in years gone by, but is now getting in the way to living into my pastoral identity. My colleagues are providing fantastic mirrors for self-reflection and my supervisor is helping discern fresh ways to approach situations that I had never even considered.
Love, love, love....of God and Neighbor - and self.
How are you loving your self so that you can love your neighbor and God, in this moment?
Good question. Trying to relax and enjoy a few quiet moments in the on call room. Trying to forgive and be gentle with myself. Trying to remember we will get through this year one day at a time!
ReplyDeleteI practiced being fully human this past weekend when I hosted a person I'd never met in my home. I took a risk. I swallowed my pride of wanting to offer a perfect home. The result: feeling that I had hosted an angel! LOVE walked into my home for the weekend! "STOP!" she ordered when I began to apologize for the surroundings. Huge amounts of two-way sharing ensued...sharing significant experiences and gleanings...the stuff of being human. As she put it before she left, "We are old friends who just met." I realized that I am lovable, fueling me for a week of loving others. It turned out that opening my home to her was a gift to me!
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