“Loving God” — Huh?

In the gospel reading for this Sunday Jesus is asked to identify which is the greatest commandment. He responds, “’You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind.’” And second, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:34-40) Usually in homilies on the topic, we focus on that second part, loving the neighbor. But what about the first? What does it mean to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all our mind? What does that look like? My own first inclinations move toward remembering and openness. In so much of scripture, particularly in the Old Testament, the community is called upon to remember how good God has been to them. And it’s out of that recollection that they respond. We come to love God more and more as we appreciate more deeply what he’s been doing for us. By openness, I mean a willingness to let God in. In our human lives, love is not just about loyalty or ecstatic praise or bringing flowers home — although, note to my colleagues on the America staff, flowers are always nice. No, love is also about letting the one you love in, isn’t it? Letting yourself, with your fears and vulnerability, be exposed. Others’ thoughts? How do you interpret loving God? Jim McDermott, SJ