Who Decides?

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

St. Augustine of Hippo, John Wesley and innumerable others have said it. I’m sure most of us have felt that way at least once.

But from somewhere significant come two questions —

So what are the essentials? 

And who gets to decide?

— After we raise our eyebrows, clear our throats, and maybe even shuffle a bit, it sure seems to me we had some clear guidelines given to us a while back —

‘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. 

— Christ Jesus, Matthew 22:37-40, New International Version

— Anybody else see a recurring theme in what our Lord says there?