Most of us were probably sobered this past week as we watched one of Europe’s oldest churches, the church of Notre Dame, burn almost to the ground in ashes.  The cathedral which was built in the 12th century, was actually built as one of Paris’ first churches that was founded in the 5th century, commemorating how a missionary and pastor by the name of Remigius led king Clovis I out of pagan worship to Christ. 

When Jesus lays out this command to love God in Mark 12:29-30, notice two things.  First this is a prayer that the Jewish community still recites today, call the Shema.  It is in a sense and anthem and a call to the purpose of God’s people, and that is to be in relationship with God and that primary affections would be directed to Him. 

When Moses was at the end of his life, he wrote a prayer in Psalm 90 when looking at the brevity of life and how we should respond to it.  “The years of our life are seventy or even by reason of strength eighty, their span is but toil and trouble, they are soon gone and we fly away.”  Then Moses in light of that truth, gives us a prayer that we should all consider, “teach us O Lord to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”