"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3We have been deceived many times that simplicity is something to be suspicious about. We respond to things that are simple with, "it's too good to be true." In order to cope with this sentiment, we have decided to make everything around us more and more complex. On top of everything else, though, we have done this to the Gospel.
Jesus asserted many times in the Gospels that the whole message is just one of love. Love God. Love your neighbors. Go out into the world with this message. Bring the love that I have given you to everybody in every nation, in every language. But that's too simple for us, isn't it? I mean, God, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, the governor over everything and every day, only asks for us to love. That's it.
However, we have gone out into the world, baptizing ourselves in the name of our own thoughts. We have taken not only two tunics, but an entire wardrobe with us: all of our interpretations, all of our biases, all of our judgments. Instead of accepting others with welcoming hands, we have gone into other houses and poured our dust over everybody who comes to us with a question. We have isolated everybody around us in the name of something we call our own "gospel".
That's not what Jesus preached. That's not what we have learned. That's what we have deceived ourselves into believing and doing. Rather, we are called to love everybody with the same love that God has given us.
This Lent, meditate on the simplicity of the Gospel. Let the Gospel of love permeate all throughout your mind and body. Let the love shine through you in everything you do.
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