Shema

It is impossible to over emphasise how significant the Shema Prayer is to our faith and to our spiritual practice. Jesus would have said this prayer hundreds of times during his time with us because it is an ancient Hebrew prayer that was central to the Jewish faith tradition, and it is a prayer and statement of belief that has continued to be constantly used up to the present. It expresses praise and allegiance to the one true God. The Shema is the the central part of the daily prayers, both morning and evening, and many think of it as the most important prayer in all of Judaism. As Christians, this is an important prayer for us also, and one to keep close to our hearts; it is an immediate and impactful communication with our God who has sustained his people over the centuries.

The prayer is found in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4-5:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

These words inspire in us a sense of belonging, of not being cut adrift or being alone in the world. We all want to belong, and to feel safe and taken care of, just as we take care of others and give others a sense of belonging, particularly in faith and community. We belong to God, we don’t own ourselves anymore. We often here the statement, “you’re not the boss of me,” as though this supreme autonomy is everyone’s right. And in many cases we do have a right to this autonomy. But not with God. When we give ourselves to God, he is the “boss of us” and a boss who we love so dearly, who we owe our lives to, and who provides us with all the love and care imagineable.

The Shema is also like a mighty wind that comes in and sweeps away the doubts and the cobwebs, and clears away the dust that covers our minds when we begin to be miserably caught up in the workings of the material world. It refreshes us and cleans us. When these words are spoken out loud, they go deep within us and resonate like an echo in a chamber, and at the same time, our words fly outwards and upwards to God, who hears them and is glad.

So we love God with all our being, so that every single aspect of our existence is imbued and ruled by the Almighty. When we say that the Lord alone is our God, it means that there is none other higher than him in our lives and that we are devoted to God above all else. Worship can go only in a singular direction, straight to the One who made us. When we love with all our heart, it’s an emotional thing, we feel it deep down and express it in words and actions. And when we love with our soul, we love with that essential part of ourselves that God breathed into us, the spirit that gives us life. We love God also with all our might, and with strength and purpose. This strength and conviction are the tools that are essential to bend our will to do God’s will, and to do it effectively. For that is our purpose as children of God: to do his most holy will, always, so that his kingdom may come.

In grace and faith.