Equilateral Triangle

Think again of the scripture I mentioned in yesterday's post:

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Luke 10:27)
Brad narrowed it down to loving God with your head, heart and hands. Three items -- kind of makes a triangle.

What interests me about it right now is the balance necessary to maintain those three items as an equilateral triangle. For those who don't remember geometry, or don't have a 4th grader at home, that is a triangle with equal sides.

First of all, should it be a triangle with EQUAL sides? Or should one of the three components have a heavier "weight," which would create some other kind of triangle?

How about this:

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. (Proverbs 4:6-8)
I like the idea that we are to know about God and also to know God. Without that, I would think that the triangle would fall apart. And aren't there times when the heart fails us? When emotion just doesn't cut it? When we don't "feel the love?" Without the knowledge of God -- that He loves us even when we don't feel His love, or feel loving toward Him or others -- how would our faith survive? So, I think the involving the mind in this triangle is pretty important.

So love God, your God; guard well his rules and regulations; obey his commandments for the rest of time. (Deuteronomy 11:1)
Love God with all your heart. I'm not sure I can articulate a case for the importance of that one; we just know it to be necessary. Could we only intellectually love our children? It's a good thing God loves us with his heart, and not just with his mind, because there are times that anyone in his "right mind" wouldn't love us, and yet God does anyway. Sometimes we just feel God, without the logic of the mind.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)
Notice that this does not say that we are saved by what we do. I think what this scripture does say is that the "hands" part of the triangle is important. What good does it do to know God and to love God, but not to do what He has asked us to do?

So, all three components are necessary, and perhaps equally important. Without even one of them, the triangle falls apart.

How do we keep a balance between them? Look at the scripture I started with again. It doesn't call us to keep them in balance -- holding back on one and giving more of another so that all three are the same. We are called to love God and each other with everything -- all of our minds, all of our hearts, all of our actions. I have a feeling that if we do that, we can leave the rest up to God.

Greek anyone? Does it sound like kerygma (proclamation), koinonia (fellowship), and diaconia (service)? Just thought of that this morning.