Near the Kingdom of God

The word "love" has taken a beating in recent times. We see and hear it everywhere: in the titles of TV series, on postage stamps, even on protest signs. The more we see and hear the word, the more trivial love seems. But when Jesus reminds us, "You shall love the Lord your God", love becomes mysterious and challanging. To fall in love with someone - or even better, to grow in love for someone - is a long process. It involves two people getting to know each other. They begin to reveal to each other what means most to them, secrets they have kept; they are eager to spend time together; they give each other gifts and come to learn what most pleases the other. Now: how do we fall in love with God? How do we grow in love for God? Can we love the Lord our God? Jesus assures us that we can, but it doesn't happen in an instant, with a few words or a few gestures. Loving God is the work of a lifetime: spending time in prayer and meditation; listening for the still small voice; learning to live as God wills, by justice and charity; contemplating the gifts we recieve, the gifts that we easily take for granted. Only then do we grow near to the kingdom of God.