Dear Saints,

Have you ever stood right next to a loved one, yet felt disconnected? If you could just stumble onto the right thing to say unity might be possible, but those words are nowhere to be found and the harder you try, the more frantic you feel. It can be painful and disorienting! But when we take a step back, it’s usually clear that the answer is what it always is: love.

What that looks like in the moment depends in part on the circumstances. It often means saying nothing at all. Sometimes it means letting the person go. It’s always marked by patience, kindness, gentleness, and generosity.

Being “so close and yet so far” from those we cherish is not a novel challenge. The scribe in today’s Gospel was “not far from the Kingdom of God.” In some ways, it’s one of the most ironic comments in all of sacred Scripture: Jesus makes present the Kingdom of God, and the guy was literally right there with him. But in another sense, his struggle was very real.

The scribe seems to have been in earnest: he addresses Jesus as “teacher,” and Jesus in turn responds as if the conversation is a genuine one. So when he asks which is the first commandment, we can presume that he really wants to know. And don’t we all? We’re desperate to get it right - to find the words that will unite us once and for all with God and each other. In true Jesus-fashion, he gives even more than was asked for: not just one, but two great commandments. And his answer is what it always is: love.

Christ’s Peace,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ