The commandments, You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (From Romans 13:8-10)
You shall love your neighbor as yourself! If only we could live in this way! If only we loved all, then there would be no more anger, hatred, rivalry, war, pain, community division, political infighting, revenge, distrust of others, manipulation for one’s own gain, or anything that creates a lack of unity and peace. Instead of looking at religion as a list of “shall not’s,” let’s look at religion of one big instruction to love one another! Love doesn’t cheat on their spouse, love doesn’t talk bad or gossip about another, love doesn’t hold others in contempt, love doesn’t steal or cheat on taxes, love for your neighbor won’t allow you to hoard wealth and possessions for yourself, love doesn’t let someone shiver on the street without a coat, love doesn’t let someone sit in the hospital or nursing home without visitors, love doesn’t let you throw away a bunch of food when your neighbor goes to bed hungry, love doesn’t hold a grudge, love wills the good of another, and love means wanting your neighbor to be as blessed as you are! Love, my sisters and brothers in Christ, and you’ll never have to worry about doing anything wrong or offending the LORD ever again! Amen!