The Bible presents a unique vision of community in which love for God and man is the heart of the law. The unifying principle of the Scriptures is most succinctly stated in the book of Deuteronomy: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with allthine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deut. 6:4, 5. This God-centered approach to social relations is both altruistic and relevant. It challenges today's spiritual thinkers to live in compliance with God and to let this transform their relationship with others.
For the Hebrews, the commitment to God gave them insights into how to live. These insights became traditions as centuries of practical experience evolved into a body of law that was designed to imitate the kingdom of heaven on earth. A special aspect of maintaining this unity between heaven and earth was keeping the Sabbath. The custom was an innovation unique to the early Israelites, and could perhaps be derived from their creation story in which God rested on the seventh day. See Gen. 2:1–3 for the divine precedent and Ex. 20:8–1 I for its lawful reflection. In Deut. 5:12–15 the Sabbath was associated with the liberation from Egypt. Isa. 58:13, 14 elaborates the blessings of keeping the Sabbath.
The spirit in which the Sabbath is kept is vital to understanding its power to unite and bless. It is a day on which to see that all one has done is very good, to pray spontaneously, to rest in love and enjoy loved ones, to willingly acknowledge that all power and perfection belong to God, to let the heart be filled with gratitude for this and all God's blessings. On this day, Creator and creation are at one in a joyful spirit as people worship with willing hearts, giving glory to God for the life that sustains them and for all of God's providence.
