Love Your Neighbor

I have lived almost six decades. I am a simple person and I like my life uncomplicated. I am a woman, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece. I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother.  I am enrolled Secwepemc First Nation from my mother’s side, and Cherokee on my father’s side. I am Christian. I am Episcopalian.

The messages that Jesus shared with us were simple. From Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version), he is asked what is the greatest commandment. Jesus replies: “‘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.”

Throughout the years I have often shared that Jesus did not use parentheses. He never said, “Love your neighbor (except for those whose lifestyle you disagree with, or except for immigrants, whether they have documentation, or except for those who are politically conservative or politically liberal, or those who have been convicted of crimes or are prisoners, or people who look different than you, or speak another language, or dress in clothes not common to yours, or those you believe are too lazy and abuse the system.)

As an Episcopalian I believe our Baptismal Covenant is my personal mission statement, and if I have any question on how to act or believe I can fall back on the questions and answers:

Celebrant: “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?

People: “I will, with God’s help.”

Celebrant: “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?”

People: “I will, with God’s help.”

Celebrant: “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

People:  “I will, with God’s help.”

Celebrant: “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?”

People: “I will, with God’s help.”

Celebrant: “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

People: “I will, with God’s help.”

And the words of Jesus along with the pledges of the Baptismal Covenant are all I need to live my life as a follower of Christ.

After my youngest son died by suicide at age 18 in June 2013, relationships have become paramount for me, especially with my husband, my remaining children, their spouses, my grandchildren, and my friends. Things of a material nature have fallen away.

Even the politics of the day and the economy are of passing interest.

The older I become, the less patience I have for those who dismiss or judge others as less than. Recently, someone wanted to argue about how some abuse the welfare system and are lazy. I didn’t want to hear it. Yes, I know Jesus came to love and redeem all of us; however his preference was for the poor and marginalized. He lived among the impoverished, broke bread with them, healed them, saw them, and forgave them.

I worked as an advocate assisting battered women and their children. I have seen women who made the choice to stay with the men who beat them because they were the breadwinners and provided housing, clothes, and food for these wives and girlfriends and their children. When these women finally chose to leave their batterers too often they came in and spoke of their shame in applying for welfare benefits. I would tell them, “I believe in you. This is temporary. You and your children deserve to be safe.”

And so now I leave such judgments to the Creator. It’s not my place to determine if someone is worthy. I have not appointed myself as she who judges all others. I have my own sins to contemplate. I need to see where I have fallen short in my relationship with God and Jesus and others.

In the end our legacy are the memories we leave for others, the love we gave, the laughter, the smiles, asking for and giving forgiveness, and sharing our stories.