Graceways September 19 Devotional

LEVITICUS 19:18b | ^18b you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

We are naturally the center of our own small world. We have continuous sensations and are instinctively aware of our bodies, knowing cold and heat, energy and depletion, hunger and fullness, and dozens of other immediate realities. We are also aware, continually, of our emotions, whether boredom or interest, contentment or agitation, happiness or sadness. In the case of emotions, there are so many possibilities. We are aware too of how others are treating us. Are we being valued or ignored? Received or rejected? Loved or treated with indifference? Self-centeredness is built into our very fabric.

To love our neighbor as ourselves is complicated by this natural narcissism. Augustine said we are “curvatus se,” curved in on ourselves. Neighbor love means working to understand the world from another’s point of view.

How good are you at understanding others?

Gracious God,

Break the patterns of self-concern in me. Help me to understand the hearts and lives of my neighbors.

Amen.