Yesterday's "sermon" title was 'Stating the Obvious' as we looked at the very familiar words from Deuteronomy 6 and Mark 12... love the LORD you God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength, and love your neighbour as yourself. It was, I said a statement of the 'blinking obvious' (it being Sunday after all, and me not being given to swearing anyway). Today's PAYG reading says much the same, via Deuteronomy 30: 11 - 14
Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
It's not too hard... ah but... we delude ourselves, either that we have it all sewn up, and our love is perfect (why then do we fear that which is 'other'?), or that it is actually too hard, too demanding, not possible for us because we are, after all frail and fallible humans.
It's not rocket science, says God, in language that predates the concept by a few millenia, it is within you if you will but pause long enough to hear it.
Challenging stuff. Go figure!