Matthew 22:37. “An oldie but a goodie” some might call it.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Whether it was on BibleGateway or in the “Wall Decor” aisle at Home Goods, most of us—Christian or not—have seen this verse somewhere at some point. I mean, Jesus went on record to cite this as His “first and greatest commandment,” so for the 21st century reader, it really has a way of sticking out in a 1200-page ancient manuscript.
A few weeks ago, those last four words—with all your mind—struck me in a new way. Loving God with all my mind means “[taking] captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m falling short in this area (1 Corinthians 10:5). When I started thinking about how much of my brainpower is wasted on over-analyzing social interactions, worrying about the future, and comparing myself to others…well, it was just embarrassing. And we all know how motivating embarrassment can be.
Alright, this is literally Jesus’ greatest commandment, I thought, and I know I’m missing out on a lot of chances to live it out. So I started brainstorming some new, tangible ways to redirect my brainpower and use my mind to better serve God and the people around me. That’s where the idea for a new writing project emerged.
If you’re reading this post right now, you probably know that I love writing about my faith. Throughout my spiritual walk as a Christian, writing has always given me a way to process through different questions or experiences I’ve had—and I know I’m not the only person with questions.
In fact, I think it’s fair to say that most people—Christian and non-Christian—have questions about Christianity. How could we not? There are so many conflicting perspectives on just about every aspect of the Christian faith. The thought of sifting through all of them to find the root of God’s Truth can at times feel impossible, or at the very least, overwhelming. But I believe that dialogue with people of various opinions is the best way to arrive at true understanding.
So here it is. I’m calling it the All Our Minds project. I’m reaching out to people in my community–people like you—and asking them to share their biggest question about the Christian faith. Whether you're Christian or not, ask yourself "What part of the Bible or the Christian life is difficult for me to wrap my mind around?" As questions come in, I’ll begin digging for scripture-based responses and sharing my findings in posts right here on my blog. Other than me, nobody will know who submitted each question. Many of the people I’ve approached so far have asked if they can send more than one question—by all means, please do.
But it’s called the All OUR Minds project for a reason. I'll be sharing one response every two weeks, and my hope is that my initial post on each topic will be thought of as the beginning of a dialogue. If you read a response and think “How could she possibly think that?” or “What about this passage?” or “That reminds me of that one time I…,” don’t just keep those thoughts to yourself! Share them in the comments section below or privately through the CONTACT tab. The last thing I want is for this to become a space where I just slam the gavel on what God’s Truth is without considering the wisdom, perspectives and understanding of others. That’s why this exercise really only works if we’re in it together.
Today’s culture is riddled with confusion and misunderstandings around what it means to be a Christian. I’m not a theologian, pastor, or seminary student, but I want to be a part of cutting through the noise to find and share the Truth. Will you join me?
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).