Perhaps that subject line–“Pay Attention!”–causes you to shudder with memories of a harsh reprimand from a parent or a teacher. (Though if you did have that response to the subject line, you’re probably not reading this right now.) In the last few years, however, I’ve become increasingly convinced that this little phrase–pay attention–is one of our society’s most important issues. And it’s important not so much as a harsh command but rather as a piercing question: “Where do you pay your attention?”
This week, as we gather for the first time in 2019, we will revisit a very famous conversation between Jesus and a sincere scribe in Mark 12:28-34 for the next two weeks. And as we read, we will hear again Jesus’ essential words about the things worth paying attention to in the coming year.