Editorial September 19, 1994 Issue

Measuring our love for God

Barbara M. Vining

To Christ Jesus, there could be no limit to one's love for God. It needed to be total. He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." It's interesting, too, that Jesus linked our total love for God with our love for our neighbor. When asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" he replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matt. 22:36–40). Apparently Jesus felt it would be impossible for anyone to love God fully without loving what God loves—His children.

So, in order to ascertain the extent of our love for God, we need to ask, "How completely and unconditionally am I loving my neighbor?" This question accords with something Mrs. Eddy wrote: "We should measure our love for God by our love for man" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 12)—a statement designed to keep us humble, if there ever was one. We should love everyone as unconditionally as God does. How can we do that?

We can love each individual for what he or she is in the eyes of God—His perfect spiritual image and likeness, the man of His creating. In other words, if we love God, we will endeavor to see His children as He sees them, and to love them as He loves them. We won't judge anyone's real worth on the basis of outward appearances—physique, personality, fashion, culture, race, nationality, personal history, or present actions—but will cherish in thought the reality of man's individual, spiritual identity under every circumstance.

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