And He said to him,

"You shall love the

Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind.

This is the great

and first commandment.

And the second is

like it:

You shall love

your neighbor

          as yourself."

   Matthew 22. 37-38

(This repetition of

Deuteronomy 6. 5

was so important

that faithful Jews

repeated it

      twice a day.

Love God

and seek the

welfare of others.

What does that

look like tangibly

in my life today?

Love is not

something we do,

but who we are.

God changes us

     through it.)

O LORD,

You have placed us

strategically in time

and place

and amidst others

     on our path.

Help us to be faithful

to You in loving them.

Create in us a pattern,

a practice, a pursuit

to serve and love You

and those around us.

Even the difficult ones

of which we are,

and You still loved us

       to You.