February 4, 2000

My creed is "Love is the key."

In all things, I apply this key to help understand the right and wrong of the situation. I derived this creed from examining the two laws Jesus gave us.

First is "Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" and the second is like it "Thou shall love they neighbor." (Mark 12:34) From these two commandments flow all the other "laws" (like the 10 commandments).

Love works no ill to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans13:10).
This means that God is a loving kind parent who wants each of us to find Him and to fulfill our potential. This means the laws are for our protection, not our punishment. Only when hardhearted people interpret the law legalistically, do we come into conflict. It means that the ultimate goal of life is to become friends/family with God and other saints.

The question "What is right?" becomes "What is kind?"

Knowing this, I do not have to deal with conflict today, but only need to be kind by helping others realize their God given potential.

Christian love seeks to empower others. That is the action of helping others take control of their own lives. It redefines compassion," not as custodial care, but as liberating people from dependency by providing the opportunity to become self-sufficient.