Can you love without God?

We were explaining the two greatest commandments to this young Chinese couple who have recently started studying the Bible with us. Suddenly I asked the question

Can you love your neighbor as yourself, without loving God first with all of your heart, soul, and strength?

chinesecoupleShe quickly nodded her head, “Yes.” But the husband slowly thought about it, and said clearly “No.” I asked why. Here I paraphrase his answer:

I don’t think I could truly love my neighbor because some people are very difficult to love, and because of prejudices, I don’t think I could really love people without God’s help.

Previously we thought he was far from the Kingdom of God, but Now I think he may be close!

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Please pray for them!