By Shiloh Moore 20/10/2026
I recently asked my folks what their favourite Bible verses were and why. Then I asked what was the essence of Jesus’ message they hold onto? What a wonderFULL conversation!
I’d like to share my own answers to those questions that I journalled.
Firstly, ever since childhood, my all time favourite Bible verses say ‘God is Love’ (1 John 4: 8,16). It’s as simple and as complex as that. God is infinite love within everything – all of us, divine love, a higher power, not ‘human being’ like, just PRESENCE. Awareness itself. Peace, Wholeness, Metanoia (a profound, transformative change of heart, mind or worldview), Compassion, Hope. And above all, LOVE.
Then, most of the Bible is FULL of DO NOT BE AFRAID. You can trust in the universe, you can trust in LOVE. I find this so comforting, and liberating, as I struggle with high levels of anxiety, overwhelm, and anticipatory angst. I wrote a breakthrough chant ‘The universe has always provided, I trust my future will always be guided, for my future I am excited!’ LOVE doesn’t stop sh!t happening – Chronic Illness, Mental Illness, Disability, Discrimination, Poverty, Injustice, Trauma… happens. LIFE is not JUST, it just IS. A higher power is with and within us, and guides us through it all. We can trust that there’ll always be Peace Beyond Understanding, Grace and Hope to guide us through the toughest moments. Grace always comes. There is always Gratitude for something powerFULL beyond ourselves.
Then the Beatitudes, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – Blessed are the Poor. I say ‘Those who experience darkness will see the stars.’ We all suffer. We all have potential to awaken. The Beatitudes are for now, within this life. We can be set free by love now, we don’t have to wait for Heaven in another place in an afterlife. Jesus said Heaven is within us. That is possible for us Now… We have Compassion in our darkest moments – we can bond through adversity, with love and the intention to alleviate suffering – through human connection, as well as connection to the source within, LOVE. This love can carry us through. We all have infinite light within.
Finally, Jesus’ golden rule and commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves. All of humanity is unique and we all have divinity within us. Cynthia Borgeault in ‘the Wisdom Jesus’ suggests this verse does not mean to love others ‘as much as’ we love ourselves – especially for those people who don’t love themselves! Instead she suggests it means to love our neighbour as ourselves. They are one of us. We all have more in common than reason to divide us. We are all connected. We are all one.