Rules of Engagement – Marching Orders

Greetings Dear Reader,

In any engagement there are standard marching orders. Mine are simple.  Sometimes I think of them as too simple and that is an error.  I know that I often touch on this but since Christ called it primary it holds re-visitation often. 

I am to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind.  I am often sure that I am helpless to define the essence of this.  I know that I love God.  I know that I reverence, fear, worship, and believe.  I cannot figure out how to love God directly so I do my best to love his best work.

I am to love those around me.  This again seems like such a simple command.  I cannot do the first, loving God, without doing this.  Some are easier to love than others.  It is not to be measured by the ease of loving them though.  It is to be measured by how much I need to be loved by God.  It is to be measured by my love for myself.  My prime motivation toward others is to be love.

I am to love my enemies.  The command to love my neighbor does not mean only the ones who are neighborly.  My love for others is not based on them but on Christ.  I am to view them as Christ views them.  I am to love them as Christ loves them.  I do not get to be selective in my positive regard for others.  I am not allowed to hate anyone.  I am not allowed to reject anyone.  This also means that my love cannot be passive.  I cannot care.  I must act.

If I am to truly say honestly that I love others then I cannot ignore the needs of others.  Too much of the needs of others has been relegated to our government when Christ made it clear that it is the responsibility of the church.  By the church I do not mean anything but you and I.  If we follow Christ then we are the church and it is our, my responsibility to care for widows and orphans, feed the poor, and see to social justice.  This is not negotiable if I wish to be seen as a follower of Jesus.  My beloved eldest Son reminded me of someone who said these things much better than I.

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”  - Thomas Merton

How have we gotten so far from the commands to love God, our neighbors, and our enemies?  The church softball team and food drive mean nothing if I am not participating for the purpose of loving those around me as a means to following Christ.  Perhaps Christ mentioned that the poor will be with us always so that we would have a constant reminder of how to find him.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."