By Vimal Kumar csc –
Readings: Dt 6:2-6; Heb 7:23-28; Mk 12:28b-34
‘Rules are framed for a reason’. Can we think of a society without any rule, norm, and law? Absolutely there will not be any order and decorum. So we need a law and rule to balance the individual behavior to make the society better. In this context, Jesus teaches the most cardinal commandments or rules of Christianity: love of God and love of neighbour. Perhaps the faith and belief of the Christian community are centred on this principle.
‘God never ceases to call his people to love him, to know him and serve him. Our love of God is expressed when we show love for all that he made in this world: The universe, trees, plants, flowers, grains, water, air, etc. We stain God’s holiness when we deplete or destroy the creation that he offered to us. Our love for God is shown in our stewardship to care for the world. Our love for neighbor is expressed when we see the image of God in each and every person that we encounter in the society whether rich or poor, black or white, high caste or low caste, citizen or refugee, men or women, employer or employee, teacher or student, etc.
All that we do is to show our love in terms of self-respect and dignity to our sisters and brothers in society. We do have the accountability to follow the rules especially the one that Jesus followed and taught us to follow: the rule or commandment of love. By following these two greatest commandments we can build our society as God’s abode.