Big Picture Christianity
Equally Human
The other day somebody asked what denomination I belong to. I don’t feel tied to any specific denomination. I’m more of a Big picture Christian.
Big Picture Christianity … What is the big picture?
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
-Matthew 22:37,40
This simple response sums up The Ten Commandments:
1. You shall not worship any other god but YHWH.
2. You shall not make a graven image.
3. You shall not take the name of YHWH in vain.
4. You shall not break the Sabbath.
5. You shall not dishonor your parents.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not commit perjury.
10. You shall not covet.
Love God, express love for God through love for one another. That is the Big Picture.
Christianity has most often veered off the path when the big picture became supplanted by a few verses used to justify an agenda. Whether verses were used to burn women as witches, condone slavery, silence women, decry interracial relationships, abuse gay people or decry scientific advancement, the agenda and verse became paramount.
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
When ANYTHING becomes more central, we have lost sight of the big picture.
I like the image thing.
Isn’t this post kind of basic?
Yes Terri. Basic, indeed. In organizing my thoughts for this series I’m striving for some sort of order. I am starting with the basic things I believe.
This may be basic but still worth saying.
I was having this conversation yesterday. This guy says the Bible is all about telling us what we can’t do and keeping us from having fun. The Ten Commandments are about how we treat each other.
Families, communities, societies – Nothing works very well without a basic agreement about what is acceptable and unacceptable.