Why love thy neighbour? A bleg

*

And the second is like it, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, upon these hang all the law and the prophets.

*

But why should I love my neighbour (as myself)?

I mean why from the perspective of salvation.

This I have always found difficult to understand - indeed I have't found what strikes me as a good explanation.

*

That I must love my neighbour is clear - it is a commandment, I don't need to understand it but to do it.

However, it is such a big thing, and I find it hard to make sense of - the sense of it does not come naturally or easily to me.

*

I have therefore had to do a bit of theology for myself - which I will explain later (if necessary) - but first I would like to hear from others about how they explain the salvific necessity of LTN - how it fits in with the scheme of things...

 *