Complicated

Readings: HOS 14:2-10; PS 81:6C-8A, 8BC-9, 10-11AB, 14 AND 17; MK 12:28-34

A few weeks ago, on the way home from Saturday evening Mass, a thought cross my mind. Why do we humans make God complicated? We can study the bible for years and never truly understand it. We can read many theological books, and still not truly understand God. Why do we make it complicated?

I believe the devil plays a part of our challenges in understanding God. He wants us to think God is complicated, has lots of rules, gives his Church lots of rules, to make it impossible for the normal, everyday Christian to understand God and thus give up trying to know God.

But today’s Gospel reading I think provides the answer:

“The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”

There it is. Understanding God is simple. If we have any faith at all, we know God loves us. So we should love God in return and love all the things God loves, which is everyone.

If we each did that everyday for the rest of our lives, we can expect Jesus to say to us, the same thing he said to the scribe.

“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”