Before Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle, he was a zealous follower of Mosaic law. Both pre- and post-conversion, Paul seems to have demonstrated an unmatched fervor, at times to the point of rigidity, for his understanding of God. No one could ever accuse Paul of coming off as “soft.”

How striking then, to read this recovering law-lover cut through the rules and straight to the heart:

Love one another…period.

The rules only matter insofar as they lead us to Love…period.

The greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves…period.

If we’re not loving people, then we’re not living God’s law, no matter how otherwise obedient we are…period.

 If this clarity makes us feel uncomfortable or defensive…if it prompts us to find exceptions or justifications for not loving…then we might ask God to join us there for a while. Whom do I struggle to see as my neighbor? How can I practice loving them?

—Katie Davis-Crowder is an Ignatian spiritual director and high school theology teacher. A proud former Jesuit Volunteer, she holds a Master of Divinity from Loyola University Chicago and serves on the board of directors at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Illinois. 

Jesus,
Teach me to love everyone
Like you did.

When I struggle,
I ask for the courage
To pause,
To listen,
To feel,
To re-think,
And to change

Again and again.

Amen. 

—Katie Davis-Crowder