Podcasts and Love

I was driving down Hillsboro Road, listening to a podcast as I maneuvered around cars to get to Christ the King.  It was a podcast I had enjoyed at the beginning, but now, 15 episodes in, I was beginning to lose interest. The current podcast was a panel discussion about love and connection. 

The first question the moderator asked was, “What does love and connection mean to you?”  

If it wasn’t for the traffic and trying to pay attention to driving, I would have turned the podcast off, but instead, I rolled my eyes and waited for a few trite, dull answers.  Instead, the 2nd person on the panel responded,” Really look at the person and see them for who they are and accept them right where they are. And you want the best for them. You're proud of them…that's the way I see true love.”

That’s a pretty good answer.. That’s how most of us love our close friends and family members. It's how I imagine God loves us.  

About a second later, I thought,” What if I loved everyone like that?”

 The thought startled me. I had to turn the podcast off and contemplate the idea.  Loving people right where they were was a real challenge.  I thought about all the ways I want some of the adults in my life to change, instead of accepting them for who they are, with their flaws. Because the people who love me also accept my flaws. 

What would my life be like if I accepted people instead of trying to change them? 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, and he responds, “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.”

Today, on Pentecost Sunday, Jesus reminds his disciples again that if they love him, they will keep his commandments. To love Jesus is to listen to him and follow where he leads us. That’s not easy to do, but perhaps even more challenging is to keep the second commandment: love our neighbors.