People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: All We Need (to do) is Love, 21st Sunday after Pentecost, '17 Yr A

For Sunday, October 29, 2017, 21^st Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8,

Mt 22:34-46

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. [Leviticus 19:18]

Happy are they who have not...lingered in the way of sinners...Their delight is in the law of the LORD...they are like trees...with leaves that do not wither...For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. [Psalm 1:1, 2b, 3, 6]

But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. [1 Thessalonians 2:7b]

...a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment...is the greatest?" He said..."You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Matthew 22:35b-39]

We are truly all in "this" together in this life on this planet although you would think, given some of the political rhetoric here and around the world, that we can stop interacting with others and just take care of us. Of course, one of the largest issues in the world today is eons old: a satisfactory definition of who us is. Another lawyer asked Jesus in Luke's parable of the Good Samaritan, Who is my neighbor? [Luke 10:25-37] We of the human variety are determined to answer this question correctly, that is, to suit our own needs and wants and keep within some construct of the rules we have devised. We build walls, fences, and tall gates that are all designed to keep out the uninvited, the unacceptable, the dangerous - in other words, those others.

What we are often blinded to is that we each are the other to someone, creating and receiving suspicion and fear when we step away from our sheltered space. And, of course, we must protect ourselves and others from those who are truly dangerous and who would do us harm. But all too often we categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, an area of the world, etc., because it's easier to have a big chart of absolutes - this group BAD, this group GOOD - so we don't have to engage, learn, and understand that the more we realize that skin, muscles, bones, and brains are all God's people.

It's hard work to sift through our own prejudice and fear. It takes time away from the easier activities of going through life without having to think because I know my group and will avoid the rest. It also involves looking into oneself - how do I really feel about me? Do I have trouble loving myself? In the snippet from Leviticus, part of what is known as the Holiness Code, God is now opening up the instructions for everyone, not just the priests. Then Jesus gets directly to the point that all the Commandments of God can be cleanly distilled into just two: 1. Love God completely, 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

The obvious questions are: Who is my neighbor? Any human you meet. Do I have to like my neighbor? Not in a best friend sort of way, but an attempt to get to know her or him might surprise you. It is more about acceptance and tolerance of differences and similarities. Jesus was saying to the lawyer in this week's reading and in the Good Samaritan parable, just following the rules isn't enough. We must be intentional in our efforts. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. I think that U.S. Senator Corey Booker said it best, and it applies to ALL of us: Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me how much you love all His children; Before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how much you choose to live and give.

Sounds so easy when God, Jesus, and Corey say: All we need to do is love. Let's keep working on it ~ together.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Gracious Creator, embolden us to actively live our faith by loving and serving You with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow Your command to love all humankind as if they were ourselves, and as we are loved by You.

LORD of All Life

RESPONSE: Help us put our trust in You

~ Gracious Creator, fortify our resolve to actively engage with those in political power in our World, our Country, and our Community to ensure they legislate with equity for peace, planetary health, and for the well-being of all humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Lord of All Life