Pittsburghers are prone to think that Jesus borrowed the words, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” from Mr. Rogers. Actually, “Love your neighbor” can be found in every one of the world’s great religions.
Pittsburghers are prone to think that Jesus borrowed the words, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” from Mr. Rogers. There is evidence, though, that Jesus actually heard this grouping of God’s two greatest commandments from the respected rabbis of his time. It should also be noted that “Love your neighbor” can be found in every one of the world’s great religions. The Buddha taught compassion, and Mohammed affirmed that his revelation rested upon the Jewish prophets and God’s call to Abraham to follow the one God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
I have been wrestling this week with how loving the Lord with all my mind helps me to respond appropriately to tragedy, and the divisions that spawn hatred and violence in our society. There certainly seems to be a link between stupidity and the “isms” that afflict us; antisemitism, racism, sexism, etc. But God does not call us to be smart, he calls us to be compassionate. I am beginning to see, that my heart and soul cannot love God or my neighbor without my commitment to three things that help my mind: lifelong learning, a daily time of reflection or meditation, and the constant cultivation of my emotional intelligence so that I see the world with empathy. In the end, we will not be judged for our intellectual prowess, but for the way the strength of our lives followed the best of our understandings.