Blog Post

I recently attended the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza, a yearly gathering of 600-700 youth pastors, directors, and volunteers from throughout the country. I was a vendor, representing Mt. Cross, and my table was right next to the Old Lutheran store (Old Lutheran, if you’ve never heard of it, is a Moorhead, Minnesota-based retailer that has claimed to be “the center for Lutheran pride (but not too proud)”). During the sessions, when traffic in the vendor area was slow, I would browse the various shirts, stickers, and trinkets they had available for purchase. One of the shirts in the store caught my eye. There wasn’t any kind of fancy design, just three phrases printed on the front and back: “Love God. Love People. The End.”

Such a simple concept, yet seemingly difficult to live out. Everyone has a different opinion of what love is and isn’t. Everyone has experienced love in different ways, some of them healthy, some of them not. Is it easy to love God? Sometimes, especially when things are going our way. Is it easy to love people? Sometimes, especially when we share similar values and beliefs. Sometimes, though, it can be tough to love God and love people. We don’t like to admit this, especially that it can be difficult to love God, for fear that we will be viewed as “bad” or “sinful”.

In those times when I find it difficult to love God and love people, I try to remember 2 things: 1) There’s nothing that will separate us from God’s love, not even my doubt, anger, or inability/unwillingness to love God; and 2) Luther’s explanation to the 8th Commandment, which calls on us to explain our neighbor’s actions in the kindest way possible. When I try to explain their actions in the kindest way possible, I find it much easier to love others.

Will I ever love the way God loves or the way God intends? Probably not. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, will I always even remember to love? Probably not. In those times of busy-ness, or when I’m angry and frustrated, or even when things are going really well, I hope I will come across my new shirt in the drawer and remember to simply Love God. Love People. The End.


                                                                                       - Adam Erickson
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