Sunday/The CliffsNote

 

                                                 Sunday/The CliffsNote

Today's gospel is the Two Great Commandments gospel, the love of God and the love of neighbor.
The love of God was written, literally, in the Jewish life of the time--and continues in some households. The Old Testament has admonishments to write the commandment of the love of God on doorposts, arm, and forehead and many did. This is the "Phylactery," the written inscriptions of the bible in leather boxes on house doorways, and the forehead and arm of believers. So the notion that the love of God and neighbor be ever-present became literal.

There were 613 laws in Christ's time that governed Judaic life. Sometimes genius shows in the insightful simplifying of reality.

Abou Ben Adhem

by Leigh Hunt

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight in his room,

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

An angel writing in a book of gold:—

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

And to the presence in the room he said,

"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,

And with a look made of all sweet accord,

Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,

But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,

Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names whom love of God had blest,

And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.