Sue’s Monday Morning Meditation 04/22/2024
04/22/2024
Atlantic Sunrise - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Scripture:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)
Comments:
It was Easter Saturday, and my husband and I were on the nearly full ferry returning to Charleston following a tour of Fort Sumter. A young man asked if the seat next to me was taken, and when I assured him that it was free, he sat down. The depth of our conversation during the next 30 minutes was pleasantly surprising. It felt like an answer to a prayerful request I generally make prior to travel. “Lord,” please give me divine encounters while I’m away.”
Jason (a pseudonym) immigrated to the United States from China six years ago. After living in San Francisco, he decided to relocate to Charleston because it was less expensive and felt safer, although he was quick to describe the many advantages of living in San Francisco. Like many Asian people I have met, Jason was polite and gracious.
“I like the United Sates. It is a good place to live,” he told us. Even though he found working the night shift as a machinist difficult, Jason said his supervisor was kind and interested in him as a person, even giving him helpful suggestions about how to deal with stress related to working graveyard. Working at a job and the role of supervisors in China, he explained, were much different.
Jason was discovering a supportive community at a Chinese Christian church, including a budding friendship with an older man who shares his passion for playing chess. “I like Christianity,” he said with an approving nod. My curiosity piqued, I asked, “What do you like best about Christianity?” “I like its laws,” he said matter-of-factly. “I am a machinist, and I like laws.”
“What laws in Christianity do you like most?” I wanted to keep this conversation going. “Oh, the Ten Commandments are good,” Jason said, and then pausing a bit to think, he added, “The Law of Love—yes, that’s a very good law.”
Ahhh! The Law of Love! On this Easter Saturday, a day which represents mysterious unknowing and grievous waiting, Jason’s simple, honest observation convinces me that The Law of Love is what Easter is all about! That’s why Jesus not only died but resurrected to bring new life—eternal life. Life anchored in The Law of Love.
I am committed to being an apprentice of Jesus. While I realize my effort and skill will never be fully accomplished, I sincerely and authentically desire to grow into a Christ-follower who accurately represents what true “Christianity” looks like.
I appreciated my encounter with a young Chinese immigrant who is finding a welcoming new home in a strange land where he is free to set personal goals, grow vocationally, and become the man he desires. I am blessed by his recognition Judeo-Christianity provides security in the moral laws of the Ten Commandments. Mostly, though, I am challenged by his understanding that what really, truly sets Christianity apart is The Law of Love, a law rooted in the greatest commandment of Jesus to love God, love others, and love ourselves.
Prayer:
Lord,
As I journey through life,
Thank you for the gift of surprise, pleasant, and divine encounters
That lead me to greater appreciation for you and those you love.
Thank you for the freedoms I so often take for granted.
Above all, thank you for the Law of Love, which Jesus modeled.
Help me grow in understanding and living out your greatest commandment!
Amen
Reflection Question(s):
What does The Law of Love mean to you? In what specific ways do you attempt to obey The Law of Love?
Blessings on your meditations this Monday!
