The World's Greatest Undertaking: Embracing the Shema as the Heartbeat of Faith
What truly stands as the greatest undertaking we can embark upon? As a conservative Christian, I've often reflected on this question, and it leads me straight to the timeless wisdom of Scripture. Recently, I crafted a homily based on Deuteronomy 6:1-9 , a passage that calls us to a profound, eternal mission: loving God with every part of our being and passing that devotion to the next generation. This isn't just any biblical exhortation—it's the Shema , the foundational declaration of faith that beats at the heart of Israel's spiritual identity . In this blog post, I'll expand on that homily, delving deeper into the Shema's significance, its enduring relevance for us today, and how it shapes our lives as followers of Christ. The Shema: The Heartbeat of Israel's Faith At the core of Deuteronomy 6:1-9 lies the Shema, named after its opening word in Hebrew: "Hear" (Shema). This passage, recited daily by devout Jews for millennia, is more than a pray...