Rev. Erik Swanson
October 25, 2026
I have heard Jesus’ teaching to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul and to love my neighbor as myself countless times. (Matthew 22:34-40) I know how important it is, yet I wonder why, after 2,000 years of Christianity, people still struggle to embody it. Of all the laws and religious teachings, Jesus chose these two as the most important. I believe the church would do well to preach this message every week because it is the very heart of Jesus’ teaching. We know love matters, but knowing something is important is not the same as living it.
Love Requires Action
Love is more than a feeling or a good idea. Just as loving our spouses or children requires action, loving God requires us to open our hearts, devote ourselves to God, and share our lives with God. I am inspired by mystics such as St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Catherine of Genoa, whose encounters with God’s love transformed their lives. Their experiences remind me that loving God deeply is not reserved for extraordinary people. It is something we can all pursue. I must ask myself: Am I actively working to love God with all that I am, or am I simply treating it as a good idea?
God Is Love – And It’s Transformative
I believe loving God is not about satisfying a demanding, all-powerful being who wants constant worship. Scripture tells us that God is love. When I love God, I participate in that love and enter into a relationship with the One who already loves me. It becomes a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving love, one that brings healing, wholeness, and deeper connection. Loving God is not simply something I do for God; it is also something that transforms me.
We Forget That Love Comes First
Unfortunately, I believe Christianity has sometimes lost sight of this central truth. We can become so caught up in rules, regulations, religious responsibilities, and disagreements that we forget love is supposed to come first. We worry about church traditions, money, appearances, and who is doing things correctly, while love slips further down the list. I have to ask myself what priorities, beliefs, or expectations might be getting in the way of loving God and others. Even good and faithful things can distract me from what Jesus identified as most important.
Forms of Love Are Inseparable
Jesus connects loving God with loving our neighbors as ourselves because these forms of love are inseparable. As I grow in my relationship with God and become more aware of how deeply I am loved, I become more capable of loving others. What I focus on shapes who I become. If I constantly judge and condemn myself, I may find myself doing the same to others. But when I learn to accept God’s love and treat myself with compassion, I create more room within myself to love others freely and generously.
It’s Not Being Selfish
I am reminded that loving myself is not selfish. Allowing myself to be loved by God helps meet my emotional and spiritual needs, freeing me to love others with fewer expectations and less judgment. Sometimes people struggle to receive love because they have difficulty believing they are worthy of it. Learning to accept God’s love can help us become more open to giving and receiving love in our relationships.
Put Love First
Ultimately, I must ask whether I treat Jesus’ teaching as the most important thing in my life. Do I actively seek to love God? Do I strive to love my neighbors as myself? Or do I allow other priorities to take precedence? Jesus made the central message clear. Now it is up to me to live it. If love truly is at the heart of our faith, then it is time for me to put love first — not just in what I believe, but in how I live. Amen.