The Devil's in the Details

A couple of nights ago, my family was discussing the quote "The devil's in the details". While I had heard the quote before, I had never really thought about what it means. I don't think the person who coined the quote meant it in a literal way. I think that here, the devil is merely an embodiment of trouble and evil. The quote makes sense in this way. Think of a goal you set for yourself, like losing ten pounds. It's easy until you have to go buy fruits and vegetables, you see cake at a party, it rains when you planned to run, etc. Things often seem simple until you realize that it may actually take a lot of work to get there.

However, the quote mainly caught my attention because of a religious issue I have been thinking about lately. People often get so caught up in the minutiae of their religion that they forget its main purpose. There are extreme examples, such as abortion center bombers, Al-Qaeda, the Crusades, and the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. But there are also countless instances that occur every day. I will elaborate in a minute, but first I want to provide some biblical basis for what I am saying.

Mark 12 really hits the point home. Here, various people have been arguing with Jesus over small details of God's word, trying to trap him and discredit him. After Jesus provides a good response to one issue, a scribe is impressed and approaches him. He asks Jesus which of the Ten Commandments is the most important. Jesus replies, "The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these". The man then says to Jesus, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying that God is one and there is