Cliffs Note Christianity

In many ways, I owe getting out of high school to my good buddy Cliff. And his notes.

I love to read now, but that wasn't always the case. But c'mon, how many 15 year olds want to cuddle up with a copy of Beowulf, War & Peace or anything by Charles Dickens? But with Cliffs Notes, you could put off those pesky summer reading lists or book reports until the absolute final hour.

Something that drills down Shakespeare to 16 pages? Sign me up.

While I enjoy reading actual books now (some of them don't even have pictures!) there is something to be said for the cut-to-the-chase mentality that Cliffs Notes has turned into a big business. (Well, that and the never-ending desire not to fail Freshman English.)

I've always thought of Matthew 22; 36-40 as the Cliffs Notes version of the Bible. Jesus has been teaching, inspiring and amazing those around him with his message of love, compassion and forgiveness. Suddenly, one of the the Pharisees, an expert in the laws of the day, asks Jesus to boil it all down for him.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" he asks.

This Pharisee was ahead of his time. I can almost see him tapping his foot, checking emails on his Blackberry and saying "yada, yada, yada" while Jesus was teaching. He's saying, "Yeah, yeah...all those parables are nice, Jesus, but I'm a busy guy...can you just boil it down for me? I'm late for a meeting..."

He's asking Jesus for the Cliffs Notes. To which Jesus replies: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it:'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Simple. Concise. Brilliant.

How true it is that if you just do these two things, everything else will fall into place. Rather than getting caught up in endless lists of things to do and projects to undertake, simplify. Just love God with all you got, and love those whom he loves. Which is everyone you come in contact with.

It's a profoundly simple concept that will take a lifetime to perfect. Because the simplest things are sometimes the hardest to do.

But that's why we've got to read the ENTIRE book to figure out the rest.