When things look simple at first, but looking more closely and with greater care, then complexity and additional ground to cover will often come into focus. The name for this phenomenon is the "Richardson Effect," Lewis Fry Richardson - Wikipedia and springs from his observation that the coastline of Britain looks to be one length from a distance, but once examined closer and closer, the wiggly contour yields up more an more linear distance to add to the total. Perhaps, the counterbalance to getting tangled up in details of complexity comes in the saying, "don't lose sight of the forest for the trees" (fixating on just one close-up instance can blind you to the larger shape and activity).
Turning to the Bible, fixating on the word or syllable level can yield up more and more detail. However, the overarching message in the Greatest Commandment should not be obscured in all the plunge into rich detail and texture of the Good Book and the lives portrayed on those printed pages. Rather than to fixate on ink on paper from one translation or another, scrutinized what is between the lines, what is not printed but still being conveyed in the examples shown in parables and conversations captured in writing. Teachings that are multi-sided, are non-logic-based on the surface, and that run counter to the habits of the current moment in history cannot be captured in lines of published text. Only by example, demonstration, and other non-verbal channels can the LORD communicate the intention and meaning.
Beyond solitary and group Bible reading, it is important to wrestle with the words ['Isra-el" is "wrestles with God"] so they fully embrace our own lives and historical setting. Thus, tangents and real-life applications, and "what if" conversations add color and depth-dimension to narrative and records given on the Bible pages. And it is valuable to be on the lookout for "God winks" outside of church worship and in all the places where you find yourself. God is at work in self and others, usually in unexpected ways.
For city residents, the sight in not uncommon to see oftentimes men begging for money in the seconds before the traffic signal changes from red to green. It is easy or customary to avoid eye-contact and studiously focus on the stop light instead. But here is a fraction of a minute for making human contact, acknowledgement of the person's presence and value, and offering some cash or other fungible form of spending. That is a vivid illustration of bridging the gap between self and other, known and unknown, familiar and strange. But during any given day there are probably many less dramatic intersections with others that easily can follow avoidance habits. However, if the opportunity presents itself, or if you reach out to create an opportunity to see and value the other person (not begging for something to spend, but maybe asking for attention or social relationship) then there are several ways for "Thy kingdom come" to play out:
--listen instead of planning your own reply or extension from that other person's topic
--look the person in the eye, ask their name (or use their name)
--with generous admiration notice beauty in any form it takes (but don't shy from ugliness in God's kingdom, either)
--watch out for knee-jerk reaction to discount others, strangers, etc. Instead frame this as One of God's Children.
There is a three-part chain of Facts (look them square in the face) >Truth (without clear distinction, all is muddied sameness) >Trust (only on a solid foundation of facts to build truth can trust grow). By seeing others not as falling short of one's comfort level and standards, but instead as holding value "as is," then the rich texture and complexity that comes from looking closer and more carefully around God's word and God's creation can fill your heart ever more deeply and at greater length; just as the "Richardson Effect" show that complexity comes from closer seeing. Simple truths (God is love) are bedrock, but looking more closely and with greater care makes the full complexity come into focus - not to obscure the Simple Truths, but to magnify them in myriad instances.
