is avoiding sin the most important thing in life?

Lewis paints a bleak picture today in A Year with C.S. Lewis.  He tells us that the most heinous of the sins, that of putting ourselves before God, is such a ubiquitous sin that we are either committing it now, are about to commit it, or are repenting of it.

This might be true. I don't know. But to me, it misses the point.

It reminds me of the man I talked to online once who declared that the entire Bible can be summed up in two words: STOP SINNING! I pointed out that this puts our focus on ourselves. It means that the most important thing in life is for ME to be sin free. To avoid anything that causes me to sin. Well, I tell you... that would mean avoiding all other people. Because as Mother Angelica said, it would be easy to be holy if it weren't for other people.

But that's not the point. When they asked Jesus what the most important thing was, He didn't cup His hands around His mouth and yell "STOP SINNING!!!"

He said love. He told us that the greatest thing in life is to love God with everything we've got. And to love other people. That's what's most important. If we're focused on loving people and loving God, then "NOT SINNING" kind of takes care of itself.

Seek first His kingdom, and all these things are added to you.

God, thank You for taking our focus off of ourselves, and teaching us to love You and other people.