love your neighbor as yourself

USCCB - NAB - Mark 12:

30
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
31
The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.' "

before i leave for a lecture on satan at a local parish (can't wait), i thought i'd post what i believe is the question of the day when it comes to the above scripture, but first a descriptor:

we are all familiar with this Word because it is the "greatest of all commandments." i've seen many a discourse on how difficult it is to love our neighbor, especially when their redeeming qualities are, er, hard to "locate."

but what about it if you can't find it in you to love yourself?
what if you possess a great amount of self-loathing?
or are very *hard* on yourself or critical of everything you do?

what about it then? is that a more difficult concept to grasp than loving the next-to-unloveable-guy?

what are the clear indications that someone doesn't love themselves?

what is love?

(where is my *a new life emerging* pastor when i need him?)



talk amongst yourselves, but be sure to leave a comment, m'kay?