We Have Not Loved
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and
strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
- From the “Litany of Penitence” on Ash Wednesday,
The Book of Common Prayer
What a stark wake up call this public confession is! I for one am too often lulled into a false sense of security because I mostly love God and I love more people than I dislike. I’m a pretty good person and hold generally positive feelings towards most people – that makes me a good Christian right? Here we see the standard of Christ held up against our lives and we see how far we really are from the mark. May we make our standard of love Christ, loving people as ourselves with our whole heart, whole mind, and our whole strength. May we forgive others as we have been forgiven by God – and may his perfect love and grace continue to fill in the gaps.
The Book of Common Prayer
What a stark wake up call this public confession is! I for one am too often lulled into a false sense of security because I mostly love God and I love more people than I dislike. I’m a pretty good person and hold generally positive feelings towards most people – that makes me a good Christian right? Here we see the standard of Christ held up against our lives and we see how far we really are from the mark. May we make our standard of love Christ, loving people as ourselves with our whole heart, whole mind, and our whole strength. May we forgive others as we have been forgiven by God – and may his perfect love and grace continue to fill in the gaps.
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