Doesn't Mean You Love God Any Less

An incredibly appreciative, responsive, and laughing audience just greeted my hard working Sound of Music girls, and I'm afraid I will struggle to talk about anything else.  But I actually see quite a connection to today's gospel.

It's a new connection, and a much more joyful one.  This morning, I read the gospel I chose for my father's funeral and let myself have a very short cry before the long day began.  Tonight I'm ready to see very new things in the story.

With the help of Mother Abbess's gentle advice to Maria, "Just because you love this man doesn't mean you love God any less," I see a new element to the two commandments.  Loving your neighbor as yourself in absolutely no way conflicts with loving God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.

It's amazing how often Christians get this part confused.  To think we must judge, condemn, exclude in the name of the purity of following God's commandments.

And it may be irreverent or at least less on point than the last comment, but I keep thinking that the cardinal rule of directing (at least the way I do it) is similar.  Love the show with all of your heart, apply all of your mind to bringing every shade to light, and all of your soul (so the cast feels you loving it).  And love your cast as you love yourself -- push them as you would want to be pushed, be gentle as you would want someone to be gentle, be fun as you long to laugh and have fun, and be as sure of yourself as you would want your director to be.

My cast loves each other, and we love the show together.  The audience's love is tertiary to all of that, but it's so wonderful to share with them.

Perhaps that commandment is true in all things.  All jobs.  Love the work with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.  Serve the cause with heart, mind, soul, time, and self.  And love those you work with, those affected by it, and those on the periphery of it.  Take them all into consideration when you make your plans.  Serve everyone, just as you would want to be considered and served.

I've written about the musical this week not just because it's the main thing going on in my life, but because it really does make you want to love deeper.  Love your family, love your cast, love God much truer and deeper.  It's that kind of show.  You want to go out and love more when you see it.  And when you work on it?

It's so easy to love after a show like this.  I hope this feeling never leaves.  Loving anything means loving God.  Loving anything means loving everything else more.

Love is meant to spread, and boy does it!