If we reread the parable again - we realize the lawyer had no problem with Jesus saying, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength" - he passed right over that because he thought he had that one covered. He wanted clarification on the "love your neighbor." What Jesus pointed out was - you love God by loving one another - even those, perhaps especially those, who aren't like you. And if anyone had doubts about whether Jesus really believed what He preached - it wasn't that much later that He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross between two thieves - and as He looked out over the very people who nailed Him to that cross, some of His last words were, "Father, forgive them - they know not what they do..."

Let me give you a verse - if you remember only one thing from today - this is it: Romans 12: 8, “As far as it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Did you hear that: “As far as it is possible” - because sometimes it’s not - “as far as it depends on you” - you are not responsible for the other person - “live at peace with everyone.” And this is because you have better things to do than walk around being angry or hoping birds poop on people’s cars. You do not have to rent space out in your head to people. You don’t have to let people hijack your thoughts. You do not have to let people steal your peace or make you feel miserable. You may not be able to fix things - or fix them - but you can choose to live at peace. We can’t always - in fact more and more we rarely can control a lot of the things that happen to us - but we can always choose how we respond. And that is important!

St. Peter quoted Proverbs 26:11, but he added, “a pig returns to the mud after a bath.” I am amazed how well Bible writers know me. I finally throw up all the bad stuff I gorged on - and like a dog return to it. God finally gets me cleaned up and I jump back in the mud. Jesus sets me free - and I run back into the cell and lock the door.

The world loves “me-based solutions to all our me-based problems.” How long do you think it will be before we figure out we cannot “hate ourselves into a new person we will love?” Before we realize “tearing someone else down doesn’t make us a better person?” Before we get tired of trying to prove we’re worth something? Before we look in the mirror and not worry about what anyone else thinks about us - but see a unique and unreproducible miracle of God.