I was watching videos on Facebook (which partly explains why I don’t get more useful things done). One video showed an angry, elderly lady shoveling snow off her front lawn and dumping it on her sidewalk. It seems the people making the video had cleared her sidewalk for her, as a good neighbor might do, but she was furious because they had trespassed on her property. It was silly, but the same sort of thing had gone on in my neighborhood for generations. Don’t shovel snow onto someone’s lawn or they will come out screaming at you.

I amazes me that the human race has survived as long as it has with all the stupid things we make issues out of. Some things we get so worked up about don’t matter.

One day some Pharisees complained to Jesus that his disciples were eating without washing their hands. Jesus pointed out to them that they were obsessed with human traditions, and as a result sometimes ignored the intent of God’s commandments. I think that is often the case in life. We become fixated about things that God doesn’t care about.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors. In interpreting the Ten Commandments, Martin  Luther says that we should defend our neighbors, speak well of them, and explain everything in the kindest way. We should also help our neighbors preserve and improve what belongs to them. In short be a help, not a hindrance to others.

How much nicer life would be if we all gave that a try.

Read Mark 12:31-32  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne