Love God And Love Others...The Greatest Commandment

I created a Facebook page called:  “Love God And Love Others…The Greatest Commandment”.  I hope you might take a moment to look at it.  There is a link to the page on the right hand side of this blog page (if you scroll down a bit).  I invite you to join it, if you haven’t already done so.  I created the page for a few different reasons.  One reason goes back to a recent trip I took.  When I’m on vacation I think about different things than I ponder when I’m at home.  I’m not exactly sure why that is but I suspect it has to do with my mind being freed up from certain obligations and certain responsibilities and, therefore, able to pursue less typical thoughts. 

Anyhow, I was out walking one morning and I started thinking about how I wanted to be remembered.  I know it’s a little maudlin, but it was one of those “what-will-people-think-about-me-when-I’m-gone?” kind of thinking sessions.  Sounds like a super fun “walk”, huh?  No wonder the other walkers were crossing over to the other side of the path when they saw me coming.  They must have picked up a strange “vibe”.

I tried to think of all of my great skills and talents and the lasting impact they would have on people.  And, then, I had the troubling realization that I don’t have any skills or talents that are so extraordinary that people would remember them and remain dazzled by them long after I’m gone.

The simple thought that finally occurred to me was, actually, a biblical type of thought.  What I realized, as I made my walk around the lake that day was that God was creating in me a heart of authentic love for people.  (Don’t worry, I’m not at the point where I arrogantly believe I’m the most loving, caring person God has ever created.  Some people still “bug me”.)  But I honestly believe that—with the help of God’s Holy Spirit—I can love people with the love of God.  Imperfectly, to be sure, but authentically.  (Boy, I hope that doesn’t sound bizarre or fanatical, I simply mean it to represent my understanding of how God’s love can work through a person in the way that scripture tells us it can.  “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”—Jesus (John 13:34))

A couple of days after that walk I got the idea to create the “Love God And Love Others…” page.  (I’m hoping that was a God-thing.)  I have tried to create interesting and helpful content on the page for Christians who want to follow the command of Jesus to “love God and love others” and I truly hope that it would be of value to people who connect to the page, for that reason.  And I hope it could be a contribution to this calling of Jesus on our lives that is substantial and important and lasting.

There’s another reason that I created the page.  I haven’t been doing the online social networking thing for a long time at this point, but I find that I have become truly fascinated by it.  I’m almost embarrassed to admit that, since I was a bit reluctant to even get involved with a social network like Facebook.  But now I find it to be incredibly interesting.  (My how things change, huh?)  I’m particularly interested in the potential online social networks have for connecting people and spreading ideas.  I’ve been reading and doing some research on networks and how they work and how things spread through networks.  I have to admit, I don’t completely understand it—I do so much better when things are in comic-book form—but it’s very intriguing to me.  And the more I read about this, the more I keep thinking that it has an amazing potential for doing good things for God.  Really.

So having shared all that, I would like to ask you to consider helping me with something.   Would you be willing to take a look at the page and join it, if you haven’t already done so?  And would you consider inviting people who you think might be interested in the page to connect to it?

Based on what I have been reading about networks, a small handful of people, theoretically, could powerfully and quickly spread a concept through a very large group.  I’d like to see if that’s possible.  And I would like to see if it could happen with a concept that Jesus says is worthy, a concept He says is of utmost importance:  Loving God and Loving Others.

I know that everyone who reads this is busy and has a life and has lots of other things going on.  I appreciate that you even took the time to read such a long post.  So, if you don’t have time to check the page out and invite people to it, I understand completely.  Please don’t feel pressured or obligated.  This is just an idea that is intriguing to me and I’m passing it along to folks to see what MIGHT happen.  I’m genuinely curious.

Thank you!

I hope you’re sensing God’s love and blessing in your life!

Dan