The Only Line I Draw

A quote that Brenna Rubio shared in the message on Sunday popped up a few times on City Church people’s Instagram stories, a sure sign that it struck home. We’ll share it below, but first, this is where it comes from.

The Apostle Paul is writing to one of the earliest churches about how to relate to religious teachings. He clearly is echoing the teaching of Jesus in the way he sums up one of Jesus’s crucial conversations in Matthew 12:34-40. The way that Paul puts it is this:

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” - Romans 13:9

Did you see that phrase “and whatever other command there may be”? It’s like he’s saying, “In case I’ve forgotten some of the commandments and you find them later, that’s ok - you’re still covered well if you love your neighbor.” Pretty remarkable statement, wouldn’t you say?

So here’s that quote from Brenna. Take some time to ponder it and this crazy emphasis about prioritizing love over religion:

The only clear line I draw these days is this: when my religion tries to come between me and my neighbor, I will choose my neighbor… Jesus never commanded me to love my religion. - Barbara Brown Taylor