Just after Jesus gives His first commandment - Love God, He delivers a second: 'Love your neighbour as yourself. Later on, during the Last Supper, He gives the disciples a new commandment: Love One Another: 'As I have loved you, so you must love one another, by this everyone will know that you are my disciples.' (John 13:34-35)
So, there is no doubt that the very core of the Christian faith is love. We're not talking about squidgy, pink romantic love here, but the kind of love that puts the needs of others before your own.
Jesus loved, especially those on the margins of society: the Samaritan woman (John 4); Matthew, the despised tax collector (Matthew 9:9); the disabled (Jesus heals a blind man (John 9)); small children and the bereaved (Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazurus (John11)).
He deals with all these people with compassion, even those who are sinners, such as the Samaritan woman and Matthew, He does not condemn but offers redemption.
This then is how we are called to treat our neighbours - 'Ah' I hear you cry: 'who are my neighbours?'
Well, that will be EVERYONE, whether we know them or not, whether we like them or not, irrespective of social standing, gender, sexuality, colour or anything else that could be seen to divide us, these are our neighbours, our sisters and brothers.
We are called to, at least, love them as well as we love ourselves, we should strive to care for those less fortunate and to offer love to all, no matter how different our brother or sister may appear to be. In the matter of love and compassion, we're not perfect - I'm certainly not - but we must always strive to love one another.
Sadly on the 25th of August, we lost Dolly Parton who, as well as being an iconic singer/songwriter, actress and entrepreneur, had also set up the Imagination Library, which over the course of 31 years, has put, globally, 304,539,509 million books into the hands of children, many who had never owned books, because of poverty. She also funded literacy schemes, medical research and local disaster relief, it is estimated that she had given up to 60 million dollars in donations throughout her life.
Dolly was a Christian - she loved her neighbour.
So, I'll leave the last words to her:
'I always ask God to work through me and let me be a light of some kind and a help in the world' - Dolly Parton
God bless, Mark
