One way to envision the commandment to love that we received from Jesus is to envision a stone being dropped in a pond. As the stone hits the water widening circles of ripples form spreading farther and farther. That is how we should thing of our call to love. We start by loving those closest to us, our families, and then love ripples out to our friends, then to schoolmates, neighbors, co-workers, fellow citizens, the whole world. When Jesus is confronted by his family he demonstrates the widening circles of love. Looking around at those seated in the circle Jesus said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” He was not excluding his family. Rather, he was drawing a wider circle to include others. We must resist the temptation to limit our loving concern and come to understand that everyone has a claim on us since we are all the children of God.
