We all have a picture in our minds of what true love looks like and it’s not the Hallmark channel. God’s love is so much more. It is unique, and cannot be compared to earthly experiences. It’s deep and wide, high and long and most certainly immeasurable.
“What can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus?”
NOTHING!!! It is too complex for me to understand, yet I get a glimpse of it as I continue learning of the person-hood of God. God is not an individual- He is Father, Son and Spirit and that’s how we were made too-spirit, soul and body, in his image. Thinking of ourselves as individuals separates us from others and even within.
God’s love in scripture is portrayed as patient and kind, selfless, forgiving and humble, persistent, rich in mercy, faithful and so much more. We all have ways of describing the love of God but for me, this sums it up best:
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11
“God showed his love among us”…. not just individually but among us all….and “since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” That is person-hood. However learning to love this way is not natural and will take time. Helping each other is the key. It’s not easy to love when we’ve been wronged or hurt, but I learn to overcome offenses in the context of community. Isolation makes the pain worse. Community isn’t measured in large numbers but it does require other people. We must process things, good and bad, with others. This helped me overcome the illusion that I had to continue in relationship with people who had wronged me. I learned I could stay connected to Christ and even them, through love and forgiveness – but move on from that relationship.
At Christmas time we tend to express our love in presents, under tree’s sparkling with lights, tinsel and ornaments.
I can’t help but think that we can do a better job of giving love away.
Maybe we could all find ways, starting this Christmas season, to spur one another on towards this concept of person-hood; loving and living connected to God and each other. Let us encourage one another to be patient and kind, letting go of past offenses and nailing them to the cross, as Christ did with us. Let us find ways to be selfless and honoring, faithful in speech, not back biting or gossiping. Lastly, let us bear one another’s burdens, thus fulfilling the law of Christ. In this way, we collectively continue the legacy of giving love away.
remaing in his love…
-Dana