LOVE

Chatting with a friend last night we were discussing how the Savior gave us so many examples in his short mission on earth. It was really only three years that he sojourned among the people teaching them about love primarily. I know that there are so many facets and commandments that we feel we need to adhere to, and sometimes that is overwhelming. But, it is my personal belief that He meant it when he said "The greatest of these is Love".

In Matthew 22:35-38 we see that Christ was asked by the Pharisees which commandment was greater. He told them that first we need to love our Heavenly Father and then we need to love our neighbors as ourselves. Then to really put the exclamation on it He told us that everything else hangs on this principle of love. "On these two commandments hang all the laws and the prophets."

So do we need to feel overwhelmed? Do we need to feel frustrated with everything we are asked to do? I don't think so. I think if we love....our Heavenly Father, our neighbor, our enemy, and ourselves then the rest will come along rather naturally.

Okay, so maybe that isn't as easy as it sounds. Perhaps there is a problem with loving ourselves. If we can't love ourselves, then it follows that it may be harder to love our neighbor. And if we can't love our neighbor then maybe we judge our neighbor, and Christ definitely let us know that was not in keeping with His teachings.

Back to His examples. We wonder about how to treat those who we think aren't living within the correct principles. Maybe someone at church smells of tobacco...do we judge? Absolutely not! Just think of Christ's example with the prostitute who was going to be stoned for adultery in John 8. Didn't He chastise those who were so willing to judge? Didn't He remind them (and us) that they too sin, and therefore have no right to judge. Who will the Lord judge more harshly when we meet with Him to view our Book of Life? I believe it will be those that judged, more than those that smoked, drank. Just imagine if our sins smelled, what would lying smell like? Gossiping? Hypocracy? Imagine the stench in our church meetings if our sins all had an odor. How simple can it be? We are commanded to love, and if we love then we won't judge.

Also if we love, we will reach out to those who don't fit into our little world. In the parable of the good Samaritan, Christ told of the Jew who was beaten, battered, and left for dead. Those in his own circles passed Him by rather than get involved. It was his enemy, a Samaritan, who gave of his time and his money to help the injured man. So how do we apply this to our world today? Maybe to the homosexual, the athiest, the homeless woman on the corner of the freeway? It is too easy to turn our heads, to say "if I give them money they will misuse it". Christ said "Even as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me". Would we have walked by Christ and made the judgement against Him that He would have misused our offering? Maybe it is hard to offer money. Maybe instead we can offer our time, our ear, our patience, our love. Everyone has a story, let them share it. How about offering a bottle of water, a granola bar, a Bible or Book of Mormon with the right purpose behind it?

I think sometimes we find ourselves choosing a position sitting on right (conservative), or the left (liberal). Let's think about the homosexual for example. First of all he/she is a child of God, created by Him. He/she is our neighbor too. Have you walked in his shoes, do you really know how he feels, or the torture in his soul? Would Christ have chosen the most liberal point of view saying "Do what you want. If it feels good try it. There is nothing wrong with it." I don't think so. Would He have chosen the most conservative position of "Ignore them. They are sinners. They are defiling and evil." No, I don't think He would be found in that place either. I believe He would have done exactly what He did with the prostitute, He would say "Go and sin no more." and He would tell us "Love your neighbor, and do not judge him." Sometimes I wonder who will be judged most harshly at Jesus knee, the person who was unable to fight against a strong trial, or those of us who choose to turn our backs to our neighbor, turn our love from him and force him to find love elsewhere.

I find it funny sometimes that the person I judge, are those that judge. It's still wrong, it's judging. I don't have that right, and I chastise myself when I catch myself doing it. For instance, when I lived in Virginia there was a very nice older gentleman that lived down the block from us. He was extremely neighborly and greeted us warmly whenever he saw us. I was walking down to the mailbox one day and he was in the front yard so I asked him, "Do you know what time the mail man comes?" His reply literally shocked my very being, "Can't count on anything anymore since they started hiring (derogatory "n word" for those with a black skin) and women." Oh my goodness I turned inside out and found myself very disappointed in that man. But all the way back down the block I counseled myself harshly "Leslie, he was judging others and that's wrong, but it's just as wrong for you to judge him. You don't know how he was raised here in the south, and you don't know what his life experiences are. So Leslie Trosper you have no right to judge him." Only our Heavenly Father, and the Savior know every detail of the road we are on. Only they know what we have been taught by our parents, culture, challenges and experiences. That is why only they can judge. It is very simple, all we have to do is love.

On this valentine day I am going to commit myself to reaching out to others as Christ would, with total unconditional love. And to achieve this goal I recognize I need to start with loving myself. I need to know that Jesus knows my path too, and He will judge me with love as well. Thank goodness!