God
is One.
The shema, the central affirmation of Judaism, begins: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” Along with every observant Jew, Jesus prayed those words morning and night. God is One.
This week’s “Stories of Simplicity & Joy” all flow from that oneness at the heart of God. God is singular, one, whole. It’s not simple as in plain or simplistic, but simple as in undivided.
Because we are all so scattered, so markedly divided, there’s a market these days for simplicity—books and expensive services to help you clean and organize your closets, simplify your wardrobe, declutter your living room, streamline your calendar, clean up your finances, detox your diet. There’s a place for all of those things, but it’s an approach to “simplicity” that begins with external things.
This week, the simplicity of the shema is what we seek. It’s an inner transformation, offering our splintered, divided hearts to God and praying to be whole and simple again. And here the ancient wisdom of the shema shows us the way. God is love, it assures us. We have God’s undivided attention, God’s undivided love. And so what else could we do but return that love, with our whole heart? That is what the second breath of the shema says:
Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And as for you, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
That radical simplicity and wholeness—all your heart, soul, strength—is impossible for scattered, addled people like us. Modern life is so bollixed. But there’s hope. When we simply quiet down and return divine love with the feeblest and best love our hearts can muster, God does the rest.
It’s that simple. Easy? Never. But it is that simple.
COMPANIONS ON THE WAY
Introduction
Stories of Turning
Week One
Stories of Wild Places
Week Two
Stories of Dogged Faith
Week Three
Stories of Mercy & Forgiveness
Week Four
Stories of Simplicity & Joy
Week Five
Stories of Prayer & Surrender
Week Six
Stories of Transforming Love
Thanks, David, for this and all your Lenten gifts.
Reminds me of our post-communion prayer where we ask God to make us more God-like, more shema-like, to send us out to love and serve him with “gladness and singleness of heart.” I’ll never say that prayer again without thinking of singleness.
Thanks.
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Singleness of heart”—I’ve prayed that so many times—that’s really the simplicity we seek.
Simple and easy are not the same thing – such an important truth. Thanks, David!
Decades ago, I told my priest that I didn’t want to just learn about God, I wanted a relationship with God. He provided meaningful guidance. The first thing he said was to begin each prayer by telling God how much I love him or simply say, “I love God“.
That’s beautiful, simple. Shema for sure.