Submitted by Pastor Kailea Nauman, First Christian Church, Rock Port

Mark 12:30-31 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

I think it is often easier to read the first part of that as Christians and think, “I do a good job of that, I love God above everything.” But Jesus gave a second command to love your neighbor as yourself.

In John 13:34 Jesus puts it like this: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Loving your neighbor can be a kind gesture or a simple hello given. It can be picking up trash cans and returning them to their designated spots. In small towns it can be easy to love those we like but it is often harder to love those who we may not like. But Jesus’ commands are quite simple: Love as I have loved you.

As we head into the Easter season and some may be fasting from things or food, I challenge us all to do something nice for a neighbor, a stranger with no need for accolades or thank you, but quite simply just to love your neighbor.

You never know the struggle someone is facing and your kind gesture, that love, is the love they need to see not because they need to see you but so that they will see Jesus through us. That they will feel His love and we all need more Jesus. So let His love and light shine through you.