On this Valentine's Day our focus will not be on romantic love for a partner, but on love for our neighbors. "Love Your Neighbor as Yourself" is one of the two primary commandments in Christian Scripture. The very same words appear in the Hebrew Bible book of Leviticus and the theme is reflection in most religious traditions. Inherent in this commandment is the idea expressed in our principles that every human being has the same worth and dignity and we are called to treat all our neighbors with the same love and compassion we want for ourselves. Loving your neighbor as yourself means that you proclaim that their life matters as much as yours. On this Sunday when we hang our black lives matter banner in front of our church we explore what it means to truly love your neighbor as yourself.
