For the past weeks, I’ve been discussing about how we can read the Bible. Here’s the third step:
LOVE.
The Bible itself says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22 NIV).” All the Bible knowledge in the world is totally garbage if you don’t do it.
This is the reason I believe in keeping it simple.
So that we can focus.
Here’s a truth I’ve learned in life: If you make everything equally important, nothing is important.
Let me give you an analogy. In my phone directory, I have 5,553 friends. If I announce, “All of you are my best friends!” What does that mean? None of them are my best friends.
And if I say, “All of you are equally important in my life. Each of you of equal value…” would I get into trouble? You bet.
My wife would be the first one to object. She would ask, “Excuse me? What did you say? I’m equal in value to all the 5,553 persons in your life?”
And my two boys will ask, “Dad? I’m only as important as your friends?”
And my leaders in my organization will complain, because all of a sudden, they can’t get hold of me anymore, because I’m talking to all my 5,553 friends.
For me to be effective in life, I need to focus in my core. This core would get 80% of my time, attention, and energy.
Here’s what I mean:
Keep It Simple
Life will spontaneously complicate itself. That’s just the way it is. And religion is not an exception to this rule. If you don’t define your core, and label something as the most important, everything will become important, and nothing becomes important.
When you want to love God, you could get lost in a thousand things. Read the Bible. Pray the Rosary. Go to Church. Love your spouse. Love your kids. Love the Poor. Serve in Ministry. Attend Bible Study. Read Spiritual Books. Join Doctrine Classes. Visit the Blessed Sacrament. Attend the Feast. Pray the Divine Mercy. Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera.
But out of all that long list, which is the most important?
Here’s another way of asking that question: Which is required and which are recommended?
I’ll let the Bible answer this question. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I have a problem with religious people, myself included. We know too much, we love too little.
We don’t need to read the entire Bible to love people, especially the poor. We don’t need to understand Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. We don’t need to memorize all the Doctrines.
We just need to love. Period.
Saying that, please know I’m not against advanced studies. If that’s your thing, and if that will make you a more loving person, go for it.
Before you do anything, ask yourself this question: Is this making me love more like Jesus?
One day, a young man reported for his first day of work in a store. The manager gave him a broom and said, “Your first job will be to sweep the store.”
The young guy complained, “But I’m a college graduate!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said the manager, “I didn’t know. Here, give me the broom — I’ll show you how.”
Following Jesus isn’t complicated. It’s like sweeping the floor. Sometimes, our advanced knowledge can prevent us from doing what is most necessary: To love like Jesus.
When We Get It All Wrong
A wife came up to me and asked, “Brother Bo, my husband is like you. You should get to know him. He’s a Bible addict. He loves reading the Bible every day. If it’s in the Bible, he knows it. He’s probably memorized half of the Bible.”
I said, “Wow, yes, I’d love to get to know him. Is he with you now?”
“No, we’re separated.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Why?”
“Because he’s a terrible human being.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I don’t get it either. He’s totally selfish. He has no regard for my feelings. He shouts at me, looks down on me, and belittles me. He makes me feel like I’m the most stupid person in the world.”
I told her, “Then you’re mistaken about him knowing the Bible. He doesn’t know the real Bible. Because if he knew the real Bible, the real Bible is a mirror. It will reveal to him his weaknesses.”
I’ve met people who know a lot about the Bible—memorized verses. But they don’t know themselves. They’re totally blind to their weaknesses. That means that God isn’t getting through to them.
It’s stories like this that have firmed up my resolve to keep my faith simple. To focus on love.
My goal? To love like Jesus.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
