Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
“He who shares our nature should share our love, itself the fruit of nature. Wherefore if a man find it a burden, I will not say only to relieve his brother’s needs, but to minister to his brother’s pleasures, let him mortify those same affections in himself, lest he become a transgressor. He may cherish himself as tenderly as he chooses, if only he remembers to show the same indulgence to his neighbor. This is the curb of temperance imposed on thee, O man, by the law of life and conscience, lest thou shouldest follow thine own lusts to destruction, or become enslaved by those passions which are the enemies of thy true welfare. Far better divide thine enjoyments with thy neighbor.”
Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), excerpt from Chapter Eight in his classic work: On Loving God.
Today is the big launch event for Dzanja Lodzaza Chimanga, which in English is, Palmful of Maize. 56 people, two from 28 districts have converged on Malawi. They have come to hear about the curriculum and the program which has 12 lessons, one of which is linked to being generous to your neighbor.
I miss my neighbor, Ken Sharp, back home. Whenever I travel I don’t get to see him, but we always fellowship when I get home. What I love about our friendship is that we share the simple pleasures of life together. That’s how God designed it. We get more joy when we divide enjoyments with each other.
People often ask me what’s a good measure for enjoyment of blessings from God. How would Jesus answer? They say, “Is it okay if I enjoy this meal or this amazing experience?” I think Jesus would say today’s Scripture in reply to love God with what you have first, and then enjoy it with your neighbor.
I am learning that sharing is the pathway to life. Think of someone with whom you can share today. And if you feel inspired to help GTP for the investment we are making in Malawi to teach every child in every Sunday school class to share, give generously here. I am asking God to supply $50,000 for the cost of this trip and project expenses for the year.
For this trip we brought in four workers from three countries. We covered lodging and food for the week. We created a generosity curriculum and mapped the plan for nationwide rollout including printing and getting maize sacks. And we enjoyed lots of chambo and sima (fish and maize flour porridge) together.